(UPDATED) “It’s unlawful arrest.”
This is how ex-chief presidential legal counsel Salvador Panelo described former president Rodrigo Duterte’s arrest at the hands of the Philippine National Police following the issuance of an arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court.
Speaking to ANC, Panelo said Duterte was deprived of legal representation after police did not allow any of his lawyers to meet him at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Tuesday morning and question the legal basis of the arrest.
He said the Marcos administration’s moves are meant to “destroy” Vice President Sara Duterte’s chances of winning the presidency in the 2028 election.
Panelo said he has recommended the filing of a petition for writ of habeas of corpus “so it would go straight to the Supreme Court” instead of questioning the legality of the warrant.
He also doubts that Duterte will be immediately flown out of the country but will instead be processed first at Camp Crame temporarily.
Duterte was arrested by police officers on Tuesday acting on a warrant from the ICC over his war on drugs, shortly after he arrived in the Philippines from Hong Kong.
Ex-President Duterte arrested on ICC warrant
The Presidential Communications Office said the INTERPOL Manila received the official copy of warrant of arrest from ICC before dawn on Tuesday.
The Prosecutor General served the ICC notification for the arrest warrant on Duterte for alleged crimes against humanity after he landed at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, the PCO said.
RODRIGUEZ: ALLOW DUTERTE TO SIGN PETITION FOR CERTORIARI, PROHIBITION
Meanwhile, his supporter, former Executive Secretary and Senatorial candidate Attorney Vic Rodriguez, went to the Villamor Airbase to appeal to allow Duterte to sign a petition for certiorari and prohibition before a notary public.
In a video sent to the media at 2:30 p.m., Rodriguez could be seen talking to a soldier at the airbase, asking him to allow the entry of the notary public.
“Bago pumirma si PRRD kailangan sa harapan niya because he will attest na tama iyong pinirmahan at nasa harapan niya. Otherwise, mate-technical kami,” Rodriguez told the soldier.
He also emphasized the urgency of their request.
“Ang kalaban namin, tinyente, two o’ clock na itatakbo pa namin sa Supreme Court. Karapatan naman nung tao, notaryo lang,” Rodriguez remarked.
He said he was willing to talk to a higher up at the airbase to explain the situation.
“Mag-antay kami dito. Notaryo lang, tinyente. Pakiusapan mo lang,” Rodriguez said.
According to the Presidential Communications Office (PCO), the INTERPOL Manila received the official copy of Duterte’s warrant of arrest from the International Criminal Court (ICC) earlier on Tuesday for alleged crimes against humanity over his bloody war on drugs.
ENRILE: DUTERTE’S LEGAL PROBLEM NOT CAUSED BY PH GOVERNMENT
Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Juan Ponce Enrile, for his part, clarified that the current legal problem of Duterte is not caused by the Philippine government.
“The current legal problem of former President Rodrigo R. Duterte is not caused by Philippine laws. His legal problem is caused by laws enforceable by the International Criminal Court (ICC). It is not correct to blame the Philippine government for the current legal problem of ex-PRRD,” he said in a statement.
“His lawyers should endeavor to secure a copy of the ICC charges against him so that they will know why he was ordered to be arrested by the ICC. Philippine domestic laws have nothing to do with his current legal problem,” Enrile added.