Philippine Senate urges ICC to put ex-President Duterte under house arrest

ISTANBUL

The Philippine Senate on Wednesday approved a resolution urging the International Criminal Court (ICC) to put former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte under house arrest.

Resolution No. 144 was approved following a vote in which 15 senators voted in favor of the resolution, three voted against it, and two abstained, according to digital media outlet Rappler.

The Senate called on the ICC to designate a physician for Duterte. If the findings show that continued detention would worsen his medical condition, the resolution appeals to the ICC to consider placing him under house arrest instead.

“Such house arrest, or a similar appropriate arrangement, will be subject to conditions restricting liberty to be imposed by the ICC, presenting no risk to the integrity of the ongoing trial,” the resolution read.

The resolution also cited Article 10(1) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which says: “All persons deprived of their liberty shall be treated with humanity and with respect for the inherent dignity of the human person.”

Last month, Rodrigo Duterte’s daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte, had said that an undisclosed third country has agreed to host the former Philippine president if the ICC grants him interim release.

She had emphasized that Duterte simply wanted to return home to the Philippines and had no intention of going into hiding.

Earlier, Duterte's lawyers had told ICC that he is suffering from "significant cognitive deficiencies," according to an Aug. 18 defense request made public by the court last month.

Duterte was arrested on March 11 in Manila under an ICC warrant and flown to The Hague the same day.

He is accused of being responsible for thousands of deaths during his so-called war on drugs between 2016 and 2022.