Update on Former Pres. Rodrigo Duterte ICC Case amid Legal Proceedings
RODRIGO DUTERTE ICC CASE – The prosecution team is set to present at least 8,500 pages of written evidence against the former President.
Following the unexpected turn of events last March 11, former Pres. Duterte is current in The Hague, Netherlands. He is under the custody of the International Criminal Court now and awaits the next phase in the legal proceedings.
Duterte is facing an allegation of crime against humanity over his administration’s war on drugs. The confirmation of the charges against the former President is set on September 23 but the ICC has also issued the significant dates and deadlines on former Pres. Duterte’s case prior to the September hearing.
Amid the legal proceedings, Vice Pres. Sara Duterte previously admitted that former Pres. Duterte wants to the course to take quick citing his advanced age. He turned 80 years old last March 28. Former Pres. Duterte wants to die in his own country.
Recently, a prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Karim Khan, spoke on the case of former Pres. Rodrigo Duterte. Based on a report on PhilStar, the ICC Prosecutor said that the prosecution team is set to present at least 8,565 pages of written evidence against Duterte.
Aside from the written evidence, the prosecution team is also set to present visual and audio evidence against the former President. Video files taking around 16 hours as well as nine (9) photographs are among the pieces of evidence set to be presented.
According to Khan, the evidence that will be presented are only a part of what will be utilized during the confirmation proceedings. Based on the report, the ICC prosecutor revealed that the prosecution is still on the process of reviewing the pieces of evidence before reporting the total volume.
“The prosecution is still in the process of determining the overall quantity of written and non-written documentary evidence that it intends to rely upon at the confirmation hearing,” Khan expressed.
The reported 181 pieces of evidence against Duterte covered 2,787 pages. According to Karim Khan, around 160 more items including the 15 video files may be disclosed to the defense team of the former President beginning April 7.
Previously, amid the questions, the ICC clarified that the 43 cases against former Pres. Rodrigo Duterte are just “sample of incidents”. The former President previously asked his supporters to leave the legal issues to his lawyers and the court and avoid talking about it in public.