Supporters of jailed former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte have called upon God, US President Donald Trump and King Charles III to help secure his release from The Hague, where he awaits trial by the International Criminal Court.
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They are planning to hold large scale demonstrations on Friday – Duterte’s 80th birthday – both in the Philippines and overseas, calling for his immediate repatriation.
However, experts say there is little chance of Duterte returning home any time soon, given the ICC’s jurisdiction, the slow pace of its proceedings and the lack of political or legal avenues to challenge his detention.
Duterte was arrested at Manila’s airport on March 11 after he arrived from Hong Kong. He was subsequently flown to The Hague, where he now awaits a pre-trial in September.
The pre-trial will determine whether there is enough evidence to charge him with crimes against humanity in relation to the thousands of extrajudicial killings that took place under his administration’s bloody war on drugs, as well as whether his arrest was legal.
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Its findings will determine whether his case will proceed to a formal trial.