The lawyers of former president Rodrigo Duterte want to meet with the International Criminal Court (ICC) before it takes a summer break on July 25.
Duterte is facing trial for crimes against humanity over his deadly war on drugs during his time as president.
His lawyer, Nicholas Kaufman, sent a letter asking the ICC for a status conference to talk about the current schedule. The hearing to confirm charges is set for September 23. After that, the court will decide whether Duterte’s case will move forward.
Why the defense is rushing
The defense says they’ve been delayed. Some important files they asked for in April didn’t arrive until May, and more documents were only given to them in July. They say some requests still haven’t been answered.
A status conference is a meeting where the court gives updates or clarifies the next steps. If the ICC agrees, it could change the timeline of Duterte’s case.
How it started
The ICC started investigating Duterte’s drug war in 2021. They’re looking at actions taken between 2011 and 2019, when thousands of Filipinos were killed in police operations.
Even though the Philippines left the ICC in 2019, the court still has power over cases that happened when the country was still a member.
Any arrest warrants?
So far, Malacañang says it hasn’t received info about arrest warrants for Duterte’s co-accused, like Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa.
But if the ICC issues a warrant, the Interpol (international police) and Philippine government may act on it.
Dela Rosa, the former police chief, is often called the “architect” of Duterte’s drug war. He once asked the Senate for protection, but now says he might go into hiding.
However, Palace spokesperson Claire Castro said public officials should not hide from the law. “Leaders must face their cases, or people will lose trust,” she warned.
Dela Rosa says it’s all a distraction
Dela Rosa claims this news is just a “diversion” from hot issues in Malacañang. He believes it’s being used to shift attention away from stories like the controversy involving First Lady Liza Marcos.
He said in Filipino, “They love creating issues to distract the public. Even if it’s an old issue, they bring it back to the spotlight.”
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