SC orders Bersamin, other officials to respond to Duterte habeas corpus plea

The Supreme Court on Thursday consolidated the petitions filed by three children of former President Rodrigo Duterte seeking the return of their father to the Philippines from The Hague, where is held in custody by the International Criminal Court Court pending trial on crimes against humanity related to his bloody war on drugs. The high tribunal gave Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin and three other officials a “non-extendible period of 24 hours from receipt of notice why the peremptory writ of habeas corpus should not issue.” A writ of habeas corpus—Latin for “that you have the body”—is a court order that requires an imprisoned person to be brought before the tribunal to determine if his detention is lawful.