The International Criminal Court (ICC) is handling a serious case against former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte. He’s being accused of crimes against humanity, which means hurting lots of people, especially during his “war on drugs” when he was the mayor of Davao City and later, the President of the Philippines.
Now, something big is happening.
Duterte’s lawyer, Nicholas Kaufman, has asked the ICC if Duterte can be released for now while the court gets ready for his trial. This is called an “interim release.” But here’s the twist: the lawyer says there’s already a country willing to let Duterte stay there temporarily. We don’t know which country it is—because the name is hidden in the official papers.
The ICC’s prosecutors—the people in charge of proving Duterte did wrong—were asked to respond to this request. They haven’t said yes or no yet, but they will give their answer soon.
The Lawyer’s Arguments
Duterte’s lawyer says that his client:
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Won’t run away from the case.
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Won’t mess up the investigation.
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And won’t commit more crimes.
So, the lawyer thinks Duterte should not be kept in jail before the trial even starts. He believes Duterte should be allowed to stay in the unnamed country, but under strict rules set by the court.
What the Country Promised
The mystery country (whose name is still secret) has said:
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It’s willing to help the ICC.
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It’s ready to welcome Duterte and make sure he follows all the court’s conditions.
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If the court asks, the country will share its own thoughts about the plan.
The lawyer finished the 16-page request by saying he hopes the judges will let Duterte go immediately, as long as the mystery country agrees to the rules.
