The more peculiar part of counsel Nicolas Kaufman’s request for Rodrigo Duterte’s “interim release” was not even the request itself but Kaufman’s assertion that the prosecution had posed no objection to the request. He also gave it a clickbait name: it is entitled “Urgent Request.”
In Kaufman’s 16-page request, he claimed that “the prosecution has confirmed its non-opposition to the former president’s interim release to another country, yet to be made public.” As we write, two countries – Belgium and Australia — have already declined to accept Duterte.
How many of us were taken for a ride? Plainly and simply, Kaufman lied. That is the best he could do with the 40,000 Euros per month lawyers’ fee. The 15-page response of the prosecution, signed by deputy prosecutor Mame Mandiaye Niang of Senegal, pointedly refutes Kaufman.
Advice to readers: a public redacted version of the prosecution’s reply is available on the ICC website.
Deputy Prosecutor Niang writes: “No agreement whatsoever was reached with the Defence on conditions of interim release to any country other than [REDACTED]. For absolute clarity: the Prosecution has not agreed in any way to conditions for interim release to [REDACTED], or anywhere else in the world, other than [REDACTED].
Niang concludes: “The Prosecution respectfully requests that the Chamber reject the Defence’s Request for the interim release of Mr. Duterte.”
Yet the most interesting part follows: Niang enumerates various reasons that do not gravitate towards an interim release of prisoner Duterte. In almost all of these reasons, the cause is psychosocial.
The Dutertes have practically similar traits: temperamental to the point of resorting to physical violence and verbal abuse, bullying, and an aversion to accountability. They are also good in gaslighting – they put the blame on others but never resort to mea culpa. They are incapable of self-examination of conscience.
Kaufman’s request averred that Duterte is committed to “returning for trial when ordered” and that “this carries a significant weight in militating against a finding of flight risk.”
Niang was very deft in citing real observable incidents as examples:
Before he had boarded that jet at Villamor, Duterte had told General Nicolas Torre III and his arresting officers that they would just have to kill him first before bringing him to The Hague. Previously, he had also threatened that he would engage arresting officers in a shoot-out.
Many of us were tuned in to what had happened at Villamor. Niang omits one very significant detail that night. Duterte threatened Torre: “After your retirement, my children will go after you.” That was the most visible evidence of the untouchable hubris of Rodrigo Duterte and how his children have acquired that trait of being above the law. It was abuse of power in its naked form.
Torre also adds that at one instance Honeylet pushed him forcefully. Kitty also cussed Torre. At her age, why does she know how to cuss expletives? How did this juvenile acquire it? We know – she acquired it by example.
Niang describes an incident at Villamor:
“A member of Mr. Duterte’s family also exhibited physical acts of violence in resistance to his arrest and transfer. Mr. Duterte’s common-law wife, Honeylet Avanceña, reportedly assaulted a police officer by hitting her on the head with a cell phone, which resulted in injuries to the officer. The officer reportedly declined to press charges for the assault.”
Even Honeylet has acquired the psychosocial tendency of the Dutertes for violence. Niang then mentions Kitty:
“Mr. Duterte’s children have also stated that Mr. Duterte’s arrest and transfer to the Court was a kidnapping, with his daughter Veronica Duterte reportedly writing on social media that the plane used to transfer Mr. Duterte to the Court had been used to ‘kidnap’ her father.”
How many Duterte Diehard Supporters then parroted the Kitty statement a million fold? Niang alludes to the cult-like behavior of rabid Duterte hyperpartisans that have caused inconvenience to the Dutch residents in the vicinity of the ICC:
“A victim of a kidnapping is unlikely to return to the custody of the kidnapper if given an opportunity to escape. Mr. Duterte, his family, his vocal supporters, and counsel all consider him a victim of kidnaping/abduction.”
Niang considered the political influence of the Duterte children “with access to powerful domestic networks.” On Sara:
“This includes his daughter, Sara Duterte, who is Vice President of the Philippines and has made her position clear that she views her father’s detention in the Court as illegitimate.” Yet in her two trips to the Netherlands, she always has to make a request to prison authorities of her visits to her father. The Duterte’s live in a bipolar world. They say one thing but do another that completely negates what they say.
Niang concludes: “The release of Mr. Duterte could pose a risk of endangerment or obstruction of the Prosecution’s ongoing investigation . . . because of the possible opportunity to intimidate or threaten witnesses either directly or indirectly, through his associates or his family members.”
Was Kaufman playing to the fantastic desires of the DDS who have become delinquents in the Dutch neighborhood around ICC? This week, I have lost count of social media reels showing Duterte arriving at an airport. The reels use different past footage of Duterte showing him disembarking from planes at different instances. The message is uniform: “welcome back FPRRD.”
Kaufman used the term “Urgent Request.” Was it because they – including Imee Marcos – had anticipated Duterte’s transfer to another country sooner? And then to drum up a psychological air of excitement among DDS, the social media reels were released to create an insistent public demand, never mind if the reels are fake?
If this was indeed synchronized, Kaufman is now ill of Stockholm’s Syndrome, as what I have always maintained continues to ail the people of Davao city.
Stockholm’s Syndrome: people are in an abusive situation but they develop positive feelings towards their abusers over time. The Dutertes are even proud that they are abusers and tormentors. Like that police officer hit by Honeylet Avanceña with a cell phone and has refused to file charges, the abuse will persist, thanks to Stockholm’s Syndrome.
In the event the three judges of pre-trial Chamber 1 will reject the interim release, the Dutertes have only themselves to blame. It is a very sick family of bullies and persecutors. They know no other game but power for themselves. At our expense. That is why unlike the people of Davao city, we see no end in the need to hold them accountable.
Narcissists should never be elected to public office. Some, like the Dutertes, belong to jail.
The views in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of VERA Files.