Duterte's lawyer denies reports that the ex-president applied for asylum in China
One of Rodrigo Duterte's lawyers denied reports that the former president applied for asylum in China and was rejected, forcing him to return to the Philippines before ultimately getting arrested following a warrant from the International Criminal Court over his alleged crimes against humanity.
According to The Philippine STAR, Silvestre Bello III said he was with Duterte in Hong Kong though left ahead.
"Before that, we had a meeting and there was never an attempt on the side of the president to seek asylum," Bello said. "Otherwise, as his counsel, he should have informed me."
Bello—the former labor secretary—noted that Duterte, upon meeting with overseas Filipinos, mentioned the rumored warrant of arrest from the International Criminal Court.
"He even expressed his readiness to be arrested,” he said.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said the Marcos administration has no knowledge about Duterte's reported attempt to seek asylum in China.
The reports circulated online on March 20. A report by GMA's 24 Oras, which cited a "trusted source," stated that China allegedly rejected Duterte's request.
The source said authorities have been preparing for the former leader's arrest since January as part of "Oplan Tugis" of the Philippine National Police's Criminal Investigation and Detection Group. PNP chief Rommel Marbil commanded CIDG head Nicolas Torre to arrest Duterte once the ICC arrest warrant was issued.
When Duterte went to Hong Kong on March 7, the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber 1 also issued the arrest warrant, the source added.
The CIDG preferred to arrest Duterte in Hong Kong, according to the insider, but the Hong Kong Police Force refused to cooperate with the International Criminal Police Organization since China isn't an ICC member-state.
The source said four CIDG agents were deployed to monitor Duterte while in Hong Kong. Six members of the Hong Kong police, meanwhile, escorted him to ensure that he would board his flight back to the Philippines.
Duterte reportedly had five confirmed bookings to the Philippines. He returned to the country on March 11 at 9:20 a.m.
The insider said the CIDG conducted "psychological warfare" by deploying two battalions of the PNP Special Action Force to Davao International Airport in a bid to discourage Duterte from going to his bailiwick Davao City.
Torre said they leaked information that the SAF was waiting for him, according to the source. Still, Torre supposedly said it would be difficult to arrest Duterte if he landed in Davao City.
Authorities reportedly held at least four dry runs of Duterte's arrest at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3. There were 60 men from the CIDG and 20 from the SAF, the source said.
The CIDG also allegedly asked NAIA air traffic controllers to have Duterte's plane taxi to Boarding Gate 116, the one nearest to the elevator that leads to the tarmac.
Outside the terminal, PNP coasters were reportedly waiting to take Duterte to the Villamor Air Base.
Duterte was arrested on March 11 following a warrant of arrest issued by the International Criminal Court via the International Criminal Police Organization.
Duterte is accused of being an "indirect co-perpetrator for the crime against humanity of murder pursuant to Article 7 (1)(a) of the Roman Statute."
Specifically, he is allegedly involved in the murder of at least 19 persons reported to be drug pushers or thieves who were killed by members of the Davao Death Squad in various locations in or around Davao City between 2011 and 2016, as well as the murder of at least 24 alleged criminals who were killed by or under the supervision of members of the Philippines law enforcement at various locations in the country between 2016 and 2019 during his term as president.
The ICC is acting based on the principle of complementarity, which means that it's only stepping in if a state's courts are unwilling or unable to prosecute crimes within their jurisdiction.
Though Duterte withdrew the country's membership from the ICC in 2018, which took effect the following year, the ICC said it still has jurisdiction over crimes that happened while the Philippines was still a member-state.
Duterte arrived in The Hague on March 12 to face the charges against him.
He could be the first Asian former head of state to be indicted by the ICC.
His pre-trial hearing is on Sept. 23, 2025.
If the charges against him are confirmed, it could be months before the case eventually goes on trial, and years before a final judgment is rendered.
