By Stephanie van den Berg
THE HAGUE (Reuters) -The International Criminal Court ruled on Friday that the Philippines' 80-year-old former President Rodrigo Duterte must remain detained despite a defence appeal for his release on grounds of age and declining health.
Duterte, president from 2016 to 2022, was arrested and taken to The Hague in March over murders during his war on drugs when thousands of alleged narcotics peddlers and users were killed.
The appeals judges shot down a request for provisional release on health grounds, meaning he will have to stay in court detention to await a possible trial.
"The Appeals Chamber found that the defence failed to identify errors" in a lower court decision that Duterte should stay in detention, presiding judge Luz del Carmen Ibanez Carranza said.
Duterte was not in court to hear the ruling.
His grandson Omar Duterte told reporters after the ruling that his grandfather was not a flight risk and should have been released. "Half the time, while we are talking, he doesn't even know why he's in there, in detention," he said.
In the Philippines' capital Manila, victims' families watched the hearing together holding signs saying: "Duterte's detention is our safety, no to interim release". One person jumped for joy and others clapped as the ruling was read out.
THOUSANDS OF DEATHS
"The trial must go on. It must continue until it is proven that Duterte is guilty," said Sheerah Escudero, whose brother was killed in 2017 during the drugs war.
The ICC arrest warrant says Duterte created, funded and armed death squads.
According to police, 6,200 suspects were killed during anti-drug operations under Duterte's presidency. But activists say the real toll was far higher and the ICC prosecutor has said as many as 30,000 people may have died.
Duterte has long insisted he instructed police to kill only in self-defence and has always defended the crackdown, repeatedly telling his supporters he was ready to "rot in jail" if it meant ridding the Philippines of illicit drugs.
In a statement from Manila, the Duterte family said they accepted Friday's court decision with peaceful hearts.
Duterte's lawyers have filed several other motions to get the entire case dismissed.
(Reporting by Stephanie van den Berg and Marta Fiorin in The Hague and Charlotte Van Campenhout in Amsterdam,Additional reporting by Karen Lema in Manila;Editing by Bart Meijer and Andrew Cawthorne)
