Roque Surfaces At The Hague; Sara Visits Dad

Former presidential spokesman Harry Roque surfaced at The Hague on Friday, March 14, ahead of the initial appearance of Duterte before the ICC.

Roque, who left the Philippines following an arrest order from Congress for contempt, was accompanied by Vice President Sara Duterte and Sen. Robinhood Padilla, an ally of the former president.

A video taken by One News’ Gretchen Ho showed Roque trying to meet with Duterte and introducing himself as a member of the ICC’s list of counsels.

“I’m here to confer with my client, Rodrigo Roa Duterte. He does not know that I have arrived at The Hague. He has to be informed,” Roque said.

He confirmed that he will be among Duterte’s lawyers during the proceedings at the ICC.

“I’m in the list counsel of the ICC and we have also retained another member of the list counsel who is British,” he said, referring to Nicholas Kaufman, identified in the ICC’s public list of counsels to be from the United Kingdom and Israel.

“I feel strongly that before the hearing, not only I should be able to have access to him as a list member of the court, but also the family… my priority is for them to meet,” he said, referring to the father and daughter.

Sara in The Hague

Vice President Duterte arrived at The Hague for the scheduled initial presentation of her father, before the magistrates of the ICC.

In an interview with several reporters and vloggers, Duterte said she and the other defense lawyers, who will be representing the former president, will try to move for the deferment of the initial presentation of her father in order to have ample time to confer with him regarding their legal strategy moving forward.

“Our expectation is that we will be given permission to visit since we are already complying as we speak with all the documents they are asking of us,” she told reporters and supporters.

“And we truly pray and hope that the court will listen for [sic] our request just move the initial appearance so that we can have time to sit down with the former president and discuss what are the ways forward in his case,” she added.

The ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I did not grant the request and pushed through with the initial appearance hearing.

The Vice President also expressed gratitude to Filipinos around the world who have aired their support for her father.

“We saw the peace rallies in the Philippines and in other places abroad. We thank all those praying for us and expressing their support and sentiments,” the Vice President said in Filipino.

“Let us not forget that the problem of the Philippines is not the Dutertes,” she added in Filipino, citing problems such as poverty forcing Filipinos to work abroad.

No travel authority needed for Padilla

Padilla, who was visiting the detained former president in The Hague, did not seek travel authority from the Senate.

Senate President Francis Escudero said he checked with Senate Secretary Renato Bantug Jr. about Padilla’s trip to the ICC headquarters in The Hague.

“If personal travel, no TA is needed sir. Only for official travel,” Bantug’s message to Escudero read.

Bantug explained that under the Senate Policy Order on Foreign Travel, as amended in 2016 by then-Senate president Franklin Drilon, a TA is not required for personal travel.

Baste questions PNP acts

Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte questioned the legality of the Philippine National Police (PNP)’s actions, a few days after his father was arrested and brought to the Netherlands to stand trial before the ICC.

“I find the legalities of the actions of the PNP questionable,” Mayor Duterte said to the crowd gathered outside the former president’s residence in Davao City on Thursday night.He clarified that he still respects the police, but not its leadership.

“The problem is I don’t trust the leadership now – the chief PNP and the President,” the mayor said.

Mayor Duterte also appealed for calm after people trooped to the former president’s house when reports spread that a supposed police raid was about to happen.

The PNP denied reports of a supposed raid on the Duterte home. However, the police assigned to secure the subdivision were recalled by the Davao City Police Office after he was taken to The Hague.

20th Congress

The arrest of former president Duterte on orders of the ICC and the Philippines’ reentry to the ICC will have to be tackled by the 20th Congress, Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino said.

“All of these will have to be tackled by the 20th Congress because the Senate’s ratification is required if we are to rejoin the ICC,” Tolentino said.

He stressed that the decision to rejoin the ICC is a matter of national policy that requires legislative scrutiny. 

Tolentino also commended the Philippine embassy in The Hague for assisting Duterte in accordance with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.

“As a member of the Senate right now, I have to personally commend our embassy in The Hague for its efforts in following the mandate of the Vienna Convention in assisting. That is the right thing to do,” he said.

House senior deputy speaker and Pampanga Rep. Aurelio Gonzales Jr. yesterday also commended the Philippine embassy in The Hague for extending consular assistance to Duterte and his companions led by former executive secretary Salvador Medialdea. 

“We commend the embassy and its staff for extending assistance. We believe it was part of their job – to help any Filipino in distress in their assigned area, whether he is a former official or ordinary overseas Filipino worker or tourist,” Gonzales said. 

He said the gesture of the Philippine embassy in The Hague simply indicated that the government is doing its duty to citizens. 

“In view of the winter season in Europe, the embassy prepared, procured and delivered winter clothing, change of clothes and care packages for the former president,” the embassy said in a statement. 

“Upon the embassy’s representation, the Netherlands’ Immigration Authorities granted those who escorted the former President, including the latter’s nurse and aide, two-day visas to enable them to rest and recover for their return flight,” it said.

The embassy also issued a 15-day visa to Medialdea.

Gonzales added that Duterte’s stay at The Hague would give him the opportunity to air his side in the proper forum on the accusations against him. — With additional reports from Diana Lhyd Suelto, Cecille Suerte Felipe and Jose Rodel Clapano