Australia declines to host Rodrigo Duterte during ICC case
MANILA, Philippines (Updated 7:21 p.m.) — The Australian government has ruled out hosting former President Rodrigo Duterte for interim release after he petitioned the International Criminal Court to be temporarily freed in an unnamed third country.
It is understood that the Australian government is aware of Duterte's petition for interim release from the ICC detention center in The Hague, Netherlands. Australia has not agreed to host the former Philippine president, nor are they considering this, Philstar.com learned.
Australia sees Duterte's application for provisional release as a matter for the ICC to consider under the Rome Statute, the founding treaty of the court, which Australia is also a party to.
Vice President Sara Duterte earlier said in a media interview in Melbourne that Australia is on "the list of countries" that her father's lawyers were considering to be the host nation for his temporary release.
VP Sara denies formal request
On Friday, June 27, however, Sara said Australia was never formally approached about hosting her father.
"First off, I'd like to clarify that the defense team of President Duterte never reached out to the Australian government to discuss his interim release. There is no application of former President Duterte for interim release in Australia," she said in an interview in Davao City.
The vice president confirmed that while two countries are indicated in the formal ICC submission of her father's lawyers, "I have to confirm that the two countries, none of which is Australia."
"And there is no intent as well to apply for interim release with the Australian government," Sara said, adding that she specifically said that Australia was on the "list" of her father's lawyers and not the filed ICC petition.
"I never talked to any government official when I was in Australia. And I know for a fact Australia is not one of the two countries redacted in the petition for interim release," the vice president said in mixed English and Filipino.
In his petition for interim release filed on June 12, Rodrigo Duterte's lawyers said a country has expressed its willingness to accept Duterte onto its territory for the duration of his interim release and enforce conditions of his release. The name of the country is redacted in the document.
One of "two countries" that were "named" in the petition, Sara said in a media interview in Melbourne on June 22, had "committed to helping or to receiving and accepting" the former president. She did not disclose more details.
In opposing Duterte's request, the ICC prosecution said his proposed host country lacks an "extensive history of cooperation" with the court and would be unable to properly implement the conditions of interim release.
VP Sara tries to meet Australian FM Penny Wong. The vice president had also shared in the June 22 media interview that she had informed Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong of her visit on "very short notice."
"I informed her informally through a message that I am here in Australia, and I am here to do a rally today and that if she is available for a very brief quick chat just to say hello because I met her in the Philippines when she visited and just, I wanted to say a friendly hello nothing official," she said.
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong was unavailable to meet with the vice president due to prior commitments, Philstar.com learned.
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