The arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte is unjust and illegal, according to former Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo.
In a statement, Panelo claimed that the Philippine National Police (PNP) did not allow Duterte’s lawyers to meet with him to question the legal basis of his arrest.
Panelo asserted that the former president was denied legal representation at the time of his arrest.
He added that there would be no objection to the arrest if a hard copy of the warrant had been presented.
Panelo insisted that Duterte’s arrest was unlawful because the ICC warrant came from a “spurious source” and that the ICC no longer has jurisdiction over the Philippines.
He warned that government officials involved in the arrest could face criminal liability, including the arresting officers and those who issued the order.