Dutch gov’t responds to ICC order on Du30 interim release
The Pre-Trial Chamber 1 (PTC 1) of the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) has received a reply from the Kingdom of the Netherlands regarding its order for any observations about the request for interim release of former President Rodrigo Duterte.
In a heavily redacted filing dated Sept. 26, the ICC shared that it received communications from Dutch authorities on July 2. However, it did not elaborate further on the response it received.
The ICC document said that on June 20, its Registry transmitted the chamber’s order inviting the host state to “submit any observations that it considers relevant to the chamber’s adjudication of the interim release request, as well as the relevant documents in accordance with the chamber’s instructions.”
“On 2 July 2025, the Registry received a communication from the Dutch authorities [REDACTED],” it added.
The ICC currently has custody of Duterte after he was arrested and sent to The Hague over the thousands of killings that happened during his terms as Davao City mayor and President because of his drug war.
The crackdown on drugs dubbed as “Oplan Tokhang” left at least 6,000 people dead based on government records but human rights groups believe the actual death toll may reach 20,000.
3 counts of murder
The ICC recently charged Duterte with three counts of murder for his alleged role in forming a death squad that carried out the killings.
In a 15-page redacted version of the document containing the charges originally submitted to PTC 1 on July 4 but made public only on Sept. 22, the Office of the Prosecutor said it was holding the former president “individually criminally responsible” as an indirect coperpetrator in the “neutralization” of unnamed drug suspects.
From the 43 incidents cited in the arrest warrant issued against him in March for the original lone count of murder, Duterte was charged with making “essential contributions” to 49 incidents of drug war killings in Davao City as mayor and then as president in various places nationwide.
Duterte’s camp sought his interim release to an undisclosed country in June, saying that his being a flight risk and the likelihood of him continuing to commit crimes remain “hypothetical.”
The Office of the ICC Prosecutor, however, has opposed the request, saying his continued detention would ensure his attendance at his trial while also preventing the former leader from obstructing or endangering the investigation and court proceedings.
