Update on ICC Case vs. Former Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte
ICC – The prosecution in the case against former President Rodrigo Duterte before the International Criminal Court wants clarification over the role of the Filipino lawyers in the legal team of the former Chief Executive.
Ahead of the confirmation of charges of former Pres. Rodrigo Duterte, six (6) Filipino lawyers were added to Duterte’s ICC legal team which is led by British-Israeli lawyer Nicholas Kaufman. Among the Pinoy lawyers added were former Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea and former presidential chief legal counsel Salvador Panelo.
The other Pinoy lawyers added to Duterte’s legal team were Martin Delgra III, Silvestre Bello III, Alfredo Lim Jr., and Caesar Dulay. Their addition to the legal team were previously reported as a move to ensure that the former President is represented by Filipino lawyers before the foreign court.
Duterte is faced with three (3) counts of murder as alleged crimes against humanity filed by the ICC prosecution. The former President skipped the confirmation of charges hearing as he remains to reject the jurisdiction of the foreign court over him.
Recently, the International Criminal Court prosecution formally questioned the inclusion of six Filipino lawyers in the ICC legal team of former President Rodrigo Duterte. The prosecution is asking the judges to clarify whether the Pinoy lawyers are officially part of the former President’s defense or simply observers. Such move highlights concerns over transparency as well as access to confidential case materials.
In a six-page filing dated March 6, ICC Deputy Prosecutor Mame Mandiaye Niang asked Duterte’s lead counsel Nicholas Kaufman to clarify the role of the 6 Pinoy lawyers. The prosecution specifically wants confirmation on whether the Pinoy lawyers are officially recognized as defense members and whether they have access to confidential defense materials.
Previously, amid the confirmation of charges hearing, the Pinoy lawyers were speaking in interviews details about the inquiry. In one of the interviews, former Executive Sec. Salvador Medialdea even defended former Pres. Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war calling it an alleged “national policy” which the foreign court must supposedly not intervene with.
In a separate interview, former chief presidential legal counsel Salvador Panelo claimed that the Philippine government can allegedly take Duterte back right away if it wants to.
