All does not seem well in the camp of former President Rodrigo Duterte.
Former presidential spokesperson and lawyer Harry Roque called out to lawyer Nicolas Kaufman, lead counsel of former president Rodrigo Duterte, saying nothing concrete has been achieved in the case of the detained leader at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, Netherlands.
In his regular vlog from his base in The Hague, Roque noted that Duterte, now 80 years old, has spent over 130 days in pre-trial detention and has been experiencing significant weight loss with no clear hope of getting freed.
Roque questioned Kaufman’s move to seek the suspension of the ICC ruling on Duterte’s request for interim release.
“Medyo nahihilo ako sa istrahiya, kung meron man, nung depensa ni Tatay Digong kasi s’ya humingi at s’ya rin ang nagsabi wag magdesisyon,” Roque stated in last week’s online broadcast. “Bakit pa nag-file kung ayaw mo naman ma-desisyunan at meron ka pang inaantay na mga dokumento?”
(I am confused with the strategy, if there is one, by the defense of Duterte because he was the one who asked [for the interim release order] and then he was also the one who asked to delay the decision. Why did you file the request if you are still waiting for some documents and you do not want a decision?)
Earlier, Roque and Kaufman traded barbs when the Filipino lawyer suggested filing a legal action under Dutch law to challenge Duterte’s detention by the ICC.
Kaufman strongly rejected this idea, calling it a legal blunder and warning that initiating a case against the Netherlands would be “crazy” and a “big mistake” He emphasized that any request for release must involve the Netherlands, since ICC detainees pass through Dutch territory.
Roque, in turn, defended his proposal and insisted that no idea aimed at securing Duterte’s freedom should be labeled “crazy.”
“Hindi niya mapipigilan ang mga taong naglingkod at may pinatunayan na katapatan kay PRRD na gamitin ang kanilang mahabang karanasan bilang mga abogado na mag-isip at gumawa ng karagdagang remedyo para sa parehong layunin na maiuwi si Tatay Digong sa Pilipinas,” Roque said in a statement posted on his social media page.
(He cannot stop people who served and have proven their loyalty to Duterte to use their long experience as lawyers to think and devise remedies for the same purpose of bringing Duterte back to the Philippines.)
“Hindi matatawag na kabaliwan ang ideyang nailahad dahil ito ay base sa mga dati ng mga kaso. Bilang isang Pilipino, dating kasama sa Gabinete ni Pangulong Duterte at isang Diehard Duterte Supporter, gagawin ko ang lahat ng paraan at hahanap ng remedy para sa maagang pagpapalabas sa ating minamahal na dating presidente,” Roque moreover stated.
(My idea cannot be called crazy because it was based on previous cases. As a Filipino, former member of President Duterte’s cabinet, and a “Diehard Duterte Supporter,” I will do everything possible and I will look for ways for the immediate release of our beloved former president.)
Kaufman has repeatedly emphasized that Roque is not part of Duterte’s final legal team, citing incompatibility due to Roque’s asylum application in the Netherlands.
Roque, in his vlog, separately lamented that he has been in The Hague since Duterte was detained early March but was never given the opportunity to personally see his former boss in his detention cell.
He said that only family members and lawyers have been allowed access to Duterte.
Roque said the Philippine system is better, mentioning that persons deprived of liberty in the National Penitentiary are allowed to see their pastors, friends and all kinds of visitors.
