MAAARING ang bansang Belgium ang tinukoy na bansa na nakahandang kumupkop kay detenidong dating Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte kapag pinayagan ang hirit niyang interim release sa International Criminal Court (ICC).
Tugon ito ni ICC-accredited lawyer Atty. Joel Butuyan sa panayam sa One PH nang tanungin kung anong bansang posibleng tinukoy ng defense counsel ni Duterte na si Nicholas Kaufman sa petition for interim release na pumayag na maging host country ng detenidong pangulo.
“It’s not identified although if you’re going to based it on past cases it was Belgium that agreed to be a host country in the case of an African accused. It’s really practical for Belgium to act as host country because it’s adjacent to the Netherlands and so if Mr. Duterte is going to be required to attend hearings, it’s going to be just less than an hour of travel between Brussels and The Hague,” sabi ni Butuyan.
Kabilang sa ikinatwiran ni Kaufman sa petisyon ay humanitarian grounds bunsod aniya ng edad ni Duterte na 80-anyos.
Giit ni Butuyan, hindi nakasaad sa Rome Statute na ang humanitarian grounds ay puwedeng batayan sa interim release at alam din ito ng kampo ni Duterte.
Kabilang aniya sa mga kondisyon na ipinatutupad ng ICC sa pagpayag sa interim release ay “the restriction to travel outside of the jurisdiction of the host country, Prohibition against communicating with victims and witnesses and Prohibition against use of gadgets.”
Binigyan diin ni Butuyan na hindi maaaring pagkatiwalaan ang pangako ni Duterte na susunod sa alintuntunin ng korte kapag ginawaran ng interim release dahil simula pa lamang ay hindi naman kinikilala ng dating pangulo ang hurisdiksyon sa kanya ng ICC at bisyo na ang lumabag sa batas at Konstitusyon.
“Up here a person who does not recognize the jurisdiction of the ICC from the very beginning, He withdrew our country’s membership in the ICC. He does not recognize and violates international laws even our Constitution. Whatever agreement he ‘s going to sign into is going to be a piece of paper and first opportunity he’s going to violate it,” paliwanag ni Butuyan.
Noon lamang aniya nang humarap si Duterte sa House QuadComm hearing ay ipinagyabang pa na dodoblehin ang bilang ng mga papatayin sa ipatutupad na “renewed drug war” kapag nanalo siyang alkalde ng Davao City.
“Last November in Quadcoom hearing , he said if he is going to win as mayor, he will double the casualties in a renewed drug war,” ani Butuyan.
Kahit aniya matapos arestuhin si Duterte ay pinagbabantaan ng kanyang mga tagasuporta ang mga biktima ng drug war at kanilang mga abogado.
Nanawagan si Butuyan sa mga husgado ng ICC na ikonsidera ang nangyaring pagkawala at pagkamatay ng ilang mga testigo laban kay Jean-Pierre Bemba ng Congo na pinayagan ang interim release sa Belgium .
“In fact in one case where interim release was granted, it resulted in the disappearance , in the killings of witnesses. This is the case of Bemba of . So this should be at the back of minds of the judges if and when they consider application for interim release by Mr. Duterte,” pagtatapos ni Butuyan.
Isa ang Belgium mga bansang pinuntahan ni Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte matapos madakip ang kanyang ama at ipiit sa The Hague.
Batay sa kanyang travel clearance na may petsang Marso 20 hanggang Mayo 10, bukod sa Belgium, nagtungo rin ang kongresista sa Hong Kong, China, Malaysia, Indonesia, South Korea, Japan, Vietnam, Cambodia, United States, Australia, UK, Netherlands, Germany, France, Italy at Singapore. (ROSE NOVENARIO)