MANILA, Philippines – A petition for a writ of habeas corpus, which was expected to be filed by Veronica “Kitty” Duterte to bring back her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, may no longer be feasible, his legal counsel Atty. Silvestre Bello III said Wednesday.
“Actually, I think the petition for habeas corpus is no longer workable because Duterte has already been flown out of the country,” Bello said in an interview.
He explained that the petition initially included a request for a temporary restraining order (TRO) to prevent Duterte’s transfer, but no action was taken by the Supreme Court before the former president was taken to The Hague.
On Tuesday, the International Criminal Court (ICC) confirmed it had issued an arrest warrant against Duterte for alleged crimes against humanity linked to his war on drugs.
An ICC spokesman stated that an initial hearing would be scheduled once Duterte is in custody.
Duterte was flown out of Villamor Air Base in Pasay City on Tuesday at 11:03 p.m. aboard a Gulfstream G550 aircraft (RP-C5219).
The plane landed at Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai at 4:03 a.m. (Dubai time) before proceeding to Rotterdam The Hague Airport.
Meanwhile, former presidential legal counsel Atty. Salvador Panelo earlier revealed that his son, Atty. Salvador Paolo Panelo Jr., would still file the habeas corpus petition on behalf of Kitty Duterte.
The petition would accuse the Philippine government of detaining the former president, “kidnapping him, and surrendering him to a foreign institution.”
Kitty Duterte also took to social media, lamenting her father’s treatment while in transit. “A flight lasting more than 8 hours but left with just a sandwich to eat?” she wrote in an Instagram story.
Separately, Vice President Sara Duterte departed for Amsterdam on Wednesday morning, following her father’s arrest. The Office of the Vice President (OVP) confirmed her departure at 7:40 a.m. via Emirates flight EK 337.