Ex-PRRD’s arrest not ‘state kidnapping’ – Palace

FILE: Facade of the Malacañang Palace as seen from Pasig River. (Photo by Architect Jorge Ramos (d. 2015) for the underlying copyrighted work (Malacañang Palace). Image is by Official Gazette of the Philippines, originally uploaded on Commons by User:P-JR – Commons:File:Malacañang Palace (Cropped).jpg, Public Domain)

By Ruth Abbey Gita-Carlos, Philippine News Agency

MANILA – Malacañang on Wednesday denied that the arrest of former president Rodrigo R. Duterte was “state kidnapping,” saying he was not forced to surrender to Philippine authorities.

Speaking to reporters, Palace Press Officer and Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro said the Philippine government merely complied with its commitment to the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) in implementing the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) arrest warrant against Duterte.

“Anu-ano po ba ang elements ng kidnapping? Pagkuha ng sapilitan, ng walang awtoridad. ‘Yun ang pinakasimple. ‘Yun ang pinakasimple para sa taumbayan (What are the elements of kidnapping? Taking by force, without authority. That’s the simplest for the people),” Castro said.

“Unang-una po, paano magiging kidnapping kung may warrant of arrest? It was issued by an authority, by the court. Kapag ka po meron ng issuance ng anumang order from the court, we have to comply, especially po sa ating nangyari ay through Interpol (First of all, how can it be kidnapping if there was a warrant of arrest?

It was issued by an authority, by the court. When there is an issuance of any order from the court, we have to comply, especially in our case, it was through Interpol).”

Castro’s statement was in response to the claim of Vice President Sara Duterte that her father’s arrest was “state kidnapping.”

Duterte was arrested at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 in Pasay City on Tuesday morning and left the country late Tuesday night to face charges of crimes against humanity before the ICC, which is based in The Hague in the Netherlands.

Castro maintained that the Philippine government’s decision to send Duterte to the Hague was “legal.”

“Kung ano po ang nandiyan at legal po na masasabi nating order from the court (If it is there and the order from the court is considered legal), we should abide. We should abide by that,” she said.

“So, wala po akong nakikitang kidnapping dahil hindi po ito pwersahan at lahat po ng elemento na dapat gamitin para masabing valid ‘yung warrant of arrest, ‘yung paghingi ng assistance ng Interpol ay nandiyan po. Kumpleto po tayo ng papel (So, I don’t see any kidnapping because it was not forced and all the elements needed to say that the arrest warrant is valid, Interpol’s request for assistance was there.

We have all the documents).”