MANILA, Philippines – Sinabi ng abogado ni dating Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte, na dumalo sa sesyon ng International Criminal Court na ang dating Pangulo ay “abducted from his country.”
“He was summarily transported to The Hague. To lawyers it’s extrajudicial rendition. For less legal minds it’s pure and simple kidnapping,” sinabi ni Atty. Salvador Medialdea sa pre-trial ni Duterte sa ICC nitong Biyernes ng hapon, Marso 14 sa The Hague, Netherlands.
Sinabi rin ni Medialdea sa korte na mismong ang mga awtoridad sa Pilipinas ang dumukot kay Duterte.
Tinukoy niya mismo ang “an unlikely alliance” sa pagitan ni Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr. at ng “troubled legal institution desperate for a prize catch and a legal show.”
“Two days ago, the whole world witnessed the degrading fashion in which the former president of a sovereign country was bundled into a private aircraft and somberly transported to the Hague. To us lawyers, this would be called an extrajudicial rendition,” aniya.
“To the less-legally inclined, this is a pure and simple kidnapping. My client was denied all access to the legal recourse in the country of his citizenship, and this all in the nature of political score-settling,” dagdag pa.
Dagdag pa, ibinahagi ni Medialdea na wala pang isang oras ang nailaan para masabi niya kay Duterte ang patungkol sa mga isyung legal.
Hindi naman umubra sa ICC ang pahayag ni Medialdea at sinabing, “There will be a full procedure that will unfurl leading up to the confirmation of charges that will enable Mr. Duterte to raise all the matters that you have just raised with regard to the warrant of arrest, with regard to the crimes committed, with regard to the charges and any other matters associated with his arrest and the matters of jurisdiction of the court.”
“You have the opportunity to do this throughout these proceedings leading up to the actual confirmation of charges hearing,” dagdag ni Motoc.
Matapos ang isyu ng kidnapping, sinabi rin ni Medialdea na si Duterte ay nakararanas ng “debilitating medical issues,” at “Other than to identify himself, he is not able to contribute to this hearing.”
Bagama’t pinayagan ng ICC si Duterte na dumalo sa pagdinig sa pamamagitan ng video link, sinabi ni Presiding Judge Iulia Motoc na, “The court doctor was of the opinion that you were fully mentally aware and fit”.
Itinakda naman ang susunod na hakbang ng proseso ng pagdinig sa Setyembre 23. RNT/JGC
