Former president Rodrigo Duterte should not be entitled to “special treatment” in his impending pre-trial at The Hague, according to the National Union of People’s Lawyers (NUPL).
“Interim release pending trial is a right of the accused. However, for the victims, he should not be entitled to special treatment considering that the detention facility is well-equipped to assist him, and that the potential risks of interfering or subverting the processes of the court is great,” the NUPL said in a Friday statement.
The group argued that Duterte’s arrest and subsequent surrender to the International Criminal Court (ICC) is “part of due process that his victims did not enjoy.”
Moreover, they cited how victims perceive the former president as a “flight risk.”
“He is running for mayor of Davao City — and a threat to the safety of witnesses and evidence, and will present these comments on any such petition in a timely and proper manner,” the statement read.
The NUPL enjoined the public to educate themselves about the intricacies of due process that drug war victims “have barely enjoyed.”
“Duterte’s best defense lies within the court’s walls, not with politics in the Philippines or rallying outside the detention center. For all the damage done, allow us this one comfort and opportunity to confront him in an even playing field,” the statement concluded.