The International Criminal Court (ICC) had made adjustments in the confirmation of charges sessions on former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte in consideration of his physical condition, human rights lawyers revealed.
As complainants are preparing to travel to The Netherlands to attend the long-awaited event, the lawyers in a press briefing in Manila explained that the sessions shall be spread over four days from February 23 to 27 with a break on the 25th.
ICC assistant to counsel Kristina Conti said the hearing shall be unusually lengthy as Duterte is reportedly unable to sit over a long period.
“Therefore, the sessions would be extremely short. It would just be an hour each time, followed by a break,” she said.
“There would only be three hours of actual sessions for an entire day, a total of 12 hours over four days.” Conti added.
The lawyer also said Duterte’s defense team shall be given longer time to present its arguments on February 26.
What will Duterte look like after nearly a year in prison?
Next week’s hearings would be the first time that the public would see Duterte after nearly a year since his arrest in Manila and detention in The Netherlands.
Duterte’s legal team as well as members of his family said the former president is in no condition to attend trial or even stay imprisoned at the ICC detention centre in Scheveningen, The Hague.
They reported that the former president is sick, weak, and has become thin. Some reports even say he suffered falls inside his jail facility and that his memory has gone bad.
He may have also allowed his hair and beard to grow long and that they have turned white.
Families of victims of Duterte’s so-called war on drugs however dismissed the claims, saying the search for truth and justice is more important than unproven claims of his frail health and advancing senility.
Atty. VJ Topacio, son of murdered activists Agaton Topacio and Eugenia Magpantay said they do not worry about claims of Duterte’s ill health.
“What about us victims. Can you imagine my grief when I had to identify my parents remains who were murdered by the Duterte government in one night? We should focus on the charges of crimes against humanity, rather than Duterte’s historic inauthentic behavior,” Topacio said.
Former Bayan Muna Representative Neri Colmenares pointed out that Duterte is being accused of committing inhumane acts and is not the victim.
“The victims are those killed, tortured, arrested and jailed without process, courts, lawyers,” Colmenares said.
The former lawmaker added that the defense’s insistence on ICC’s lack of jurisdiction against Duterte and his co-perpetrators must not stop the trial.
“The defense can file all the motions and appeals it can think of, but it should not stop the trial. The families of the victims have waited for years for Duterte to finally face justice,” he said.
The ICC would be streaming the proceedings in its website on a slightly delayed basis. # (Raymund B. Villanueva)