SENATOR Alan Peter Cayetano is calling on the Philippine government to engage with the International Criminal Court (ICC) to seek house arrest, rather than full detention, for former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte (FPRRD) as he awaits trial for alleged crimes against humanity.
“Compassion defines who we are as Filipinos, and it must remain at the core of how we pursue justice — even for those we disagree with,” Cayetano said in an interview with television host Boy Abunda, posted online on July 13.
According to Cayetano, his resolution proposes that the Philippine government formally request the ICC to allow Duterte to be held under house arrest, possibly within the Philippine Embassy in The Hague.
Cayetano’s resolution, titled Resolution Expressing The Sense of the Senate to Urge the Philippines to Advocate Before the International Criminal Court (ICC) for the Interim Release of Former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte (FPRRD), Including Inter Alia Entering Into an Arrangement with the ICC to Receive Custody of FPRRD in a Form of House Arrest or Any Other Appropriate Arrangement In the Premises of the Philippine Embassy in The Hague, Netherlands, was filed on July 10, 2025.
The senator clarified that this is not a call for the former president’s release but rather a plea for a more humane form of custody that upholds both constitutional protections and international human rights standards.
“In other words, Malacañang will talk to the ICC hoping to give an interim release to former President Duterte while he’s awaiting trial,” Cayetano said.
He stressed that compassion should be extended even to those one may not agree with, underscoring the importance of moral consistency in a democratic society.
“One thing I deeply believe in is that the Filipinos are deeply compassionate people. And when you say love and compassion, the Bible repeatedly says, ‘If you’re only kind, loving, and compassionate to your loved ones, then what’s your difference to evil people?’” he said. “Meaning, dapat compassionate ka kahit hindi ka nag-a-agree sa tao, kahit sa enemy mo,” he added.
Cayetano cited international and local precedents for alternative detention arrangements, including a Congolese rebel granted interim release by the ICC, as well as special detention conditions provided in the Philippines for figures such as former Senator Leila de Lima and former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV.
“His (Duterte’s) lawyer filed for interim release, which is allowed under the ICC rules as it has happened before,” Cayetano noted.
The senator maintained that justice should not be retributive.
“If we do everything ‘an eye for an eye,’ then the whole world goes blind, right? It’s a vicious cycle, so it has to stop somewhere. And that’s where human rights activism and all of these conventions, international, come into play,” he said.
Cayetano also raised concerns for Duterte’s health and safety, citing the viral circulation of a recent photo showing the 80-year-old former president frail and lying in a hospital bed. “He’s still a former president, Kuya Boy. God forbid something happens to former President Duterte. If something happens inside, and our attitude as a nation is like that, if the ICC’s decision is like that, we can’t do anything,” he added.
Duterte has been held in a detention facility in The Hague since March 12, a day after his arrest. He made his first appearance before the ICC on March 14 via video link and is set to attend the confirmation of charges hearing on September 23.
On July 1, the prosecution at the International Criminal Court (ICC) revealed the identities of its witnesses to former President Rodrigo Duterte’s defense team, in line with court protocols.
This came after prosecutors initially sought an extension, citing potential risks to the safety and well-being of witnesses and victims.
With the disclosure now in effect, the defense is examining both incriminating and exonerating evidence, raising renewed concerns over possible threats to those involved in the case.
Duterte, who marked his 80th birthday on March 28 while in detention, was proclaimed the winner of the May 2025 mayoral race in Davao City. As he is in ICC detention, he has yet to take his oath of office or submit his Statement of Contributions and Expenditures (Soce). DEF
