GENEVA — Rights defenders of the Philippine UPR Watch welcome the opposition of the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) Office of the Prosecutor to former President Rodrigo Duterte’s request for interim release. The Prosecutor’s position underscores what victims and human rights advocates have asserted: Duterte remains a continuing threat to justice, the integrity of the investigation, and the safety of witnesses.
Speaking from Geneva, where the Philippine UPR Watch delegation is attending the 59th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, Deaconess Rubilyn Litao, coordinator of Rise Up for Life and for Rights—a network of families of victims—stated: “The Prosecutor’s submission is a recognition of victims’ demand for accountability. For years, they have waited while impunity reigned. Duterte must remain in detention to ensure that the long-denied trial proceeds. Anything less would mock the suffering of the thousands killed and the grief of those they left behind.”
In its 23 June 2025 filing, the Prosecution laid out extensive evidence demonstrating Duterte’s continuing rejection of the ICC’s legitimacy, his existing political influence, access to financial and political networks, and documented history of obstructing investigations and intimidating witnesses.
“The Office of the Prosecutor has laid bare the continuing machinery of impunity surrounding Duterte. His family remains deeply embedded in the government, witnesses continue to face threats, and his release would place both the investigation and witnesses at grave risk,” Litao added.
The Prosecution’s submission recalls Duterte’s prior threats of violence against ICC officials, his public vow to “double” the killings if he returned to office, and multiple incidents of witness intimidation orchestrated by Duterte and his associates.
“For victims’ families long denied justice by the very architects of impunity, the ICC represents a rare avenue for accountability,” Litao stressed. “We urge the Pre-Trial Chamber to uphold the Prosecution’s position and ensure that this trial moves forward without further obstruction.”
In a press briefing on 24 June 2025 in Geneva, UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression Irene Khan reiterated her call for the Philippine government to seriously consider re-acceding to the Rome Statute, noting that such membership would “significantly enhance human rights protection and support freedom of expression.”
The Philippine UPR Watch delegation emphasized that the ICC proceedings are indispensable in the absence of credible domestic accountability mechanisms. The delegation called on the international community to sustain pressure and ensure that no state offers Duterte political refuge or safe haven from prosecution.
“Duterte’s victims are entitled to their day in court,” Litao concluded. “His continued detention is not only a legal necessity, but a moral duty owed to the thousands who perished under his policy of state-sponsored violence.”