Veronica “Kitty” Duterte, the youngest daughter of former President Rodrigo Duterte, is set to file a petition for a writ of habeas corpus against the Philippine government, alleging the unlawful detention, kidnapping, and surrender of her father to the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Former Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo announced on Tuesday that he will file the petition before the Supreme Court on Wednesday morning.
Panelo said the petition aims to compel the government to return Duterte and hold it accountable for its alleged “constitutional transgressions” and what he described as an “unpatriotic and abject surrender” of national sovereignty to the ICC.
The petition comes amid ongoing discussions regarding the ICC’s investigation into the former president’s controversial war on drugs. The Philippine government has repeatedly maintained that the ICC has no jurisdiction over Duterte, as the country withdrew from the Rome Statute in 2019.
Further details on the petition and the government’s response are yet to be released.
