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Drug war victims’ families want Duterte jailed, not dead —lawyer
The families of the people killed in the Duterte administration’s bloody drug war want former President Rodrigo Duterte to be convicted and imprisoned, a lawyer accredited by the International Criminal Court (ICC) said Monday.
“Actually, gusto nila na makita talaga na ma-convict si Mr. Duterte. Ayaw nila na mamatay. Gusto nilang maranasan niya na magdusa doon sa mga kasalanan niya,” attorney Joel Butuyan said at a FOCAP online media forum.
(They want to see Mr. Duterte convicted. They don't want him to die. They want him to experience suffering for his crimes.)
“Ang ano nga nila is maramdaman niya ‘yung lamig ng rehas kapag na convict siya,” he added.
(They want him to feel the cold of the prison bars when he is convicted.)
Duterte was arrested last week on a warrant issued by the ICC for alleged crimes against humanity. He faced the ICC for the first time on Friday through a video conference.
Butuyan said that if found guilty, he will serve his sentence in the facilities of a member state of the international tribunal.
“He’s going to be detained in the jail facilities of a member state which can comply with international standards on the quality and standards of jail facilities,” Butuyan said.
He said it is unlikely that any Philippine convict in the ICC will serve jail time in the Philippines as the country’s jail facilities do not comply with international standards.
Butuyan said he is also confident that the ICC will rule in their favor.
“The crucial pieces of evidence came from his own mouth and also from issues of the government during his term.,” Butuyan said.
Earlier, Butuyan said that Duterte’s request for interim release is unlikely to be granted by the ICC due to concerns that he poses a flight risk.
Duterte’s next hearing on the confirmation of the charges has been set for Sept. 23, 2025. — BM, GMA Integrated News
