Former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s preliminary look came about on Friday, 14 March 2025, earlier than the Pre-Trial Chamber I of the Worldwide Felony Court docket. ©ICC-CPI
Highlights: Rodrigo Duterte’s ICC pre-trial
MANILA, Philippines – Justice is “beginning to roll down” after the Worldwide Felony Court docket (ICC) held its “honest” pre-trial on former President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s drug conflict case, Malacañang stated on Saturday.
“That is what we name honest trial,” Palace Press Officer and Presidential Communications Workplace Undersecretary Claire Castro stated in an announcement when requested concerning the ICC’s pre-trial for Duterte’s alleged fee of crimes towards humanity over the brutal conflict on unlawful medication.
“Witnessing the primary look attended by FP (former president) Duterte earlier than the ICC, all people may see how justice begins to roll down,” she added.
Duterte was allowed to make his first look earlier than the ICC by way of a video hyperlink on Friday evening (Manila time) due to the “lengthy journey involving a substantial time distinction” that he made out of the Philippines.
The ICC scheduled the following listening to to verify Duterte’s costs on Sept. 23.
Castro stated the ICC didn’t settle for the plea to postpone Duterte’s first look as “there isn’t a want and it’s not but the time for the suspect to current his defenses and proof.”
“The choose even emphasised that the Court docket’s physician gave the opinion that FP Duterte is absolutely mentally conscious and match and that he had undergone additional checks and checks on the detention facility,” she stated.
Duterte’s authorized counsel, former government secretary Salvador Medialdea, introduced a manifestation through the pre-trial and instructed the chamber that Duterte was denied all entry to authorized recourse within the Philippines.
Medialdea added that Duterte has “debilitating medical points” and his arrest and switch to the ICC was a “gross abuse of course of.”
Castro famous that opposite to statements made by Duterte’s camp, a minimum of the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber had confirmed that the previous president was certainly afforded his basic rights as a suspect of crimes towards humanity, particularly homicide.
“It was additionally confirmed by the Court docket based mostly on the report of the registry that FP Duterte was knowledgeable of his rights, together with (Articles) 66 and 67 of the Rome Statute and he was conscious of the warrant of arrest within the English language,” she stated.
Articles 66 and 67 of the Rome Statute present for the presumption of innocence and the rights of the accused.
Duterte was the topic of an arrest warrant by the ICC over the alleged crimes towards humanity dedicated resulting from his drug conflict carried out between Nov. 1, 2011 and March 16, 2019 throughout his time as Davao Metropolis mayor after which Philippine president.
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Duterte arrived in The Hague, The Netherlands on Wednesday evening (Manila time) and was turned over to the ICC Detention Heart in Scheveningen.
