War on Drugs, War on Justice?: ICC sets schedule of hearing for Duterte’s case this September

The International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, Netherlands, has set a four-day confirmation of charges hearing for Former President Rodrigo Duterte, who faces crimes against humanity charges linked to his bloody war on drugs. The hearings will run from September 23 to 26. According to ICC’s website, the confirmation hearing for Duterte is scheduled to begin at 9:30 AM (Netherlands time) on Sept. 23, with subsequent hearing set for the same time on Sept. 24, 25, and 26 in Courtroom 1 at the ICC. The hearing will be livestreamed on the ICC’s website, but with a 30-minute delay to protect sensitive information about the case. During the confirmation of charges phase, both the prosecution and defense will be allotted at least 30 minutes each for their opening and closing statements. They are also expected to spend three to four hours addressing key legal issues of the case. The Office of Public Counsel for Victims (OPCV) Principal Counsel Paolina Massidda, whose office represents the victims of Duterte’s alleged bloody war on drugs policy during his term, has also requested 30 minutes each for its opening and closing statements. “She also submits that 2 hours is an appropriate time for the Common Legal Representatives to present on the merits of the case and on the extent of the victimization suffered by the victims,” the document dated Aug. 25 said. Duterte’s lead counsel, Nicholas Kaufman, emphasized that the prosecution must convince the judges “that there are substantial grounds to believe that the suspect, in this case, the former president, committed the crimes which the prosecution alleges he committed.” The confirmation of charges hearing is a crucial step that will determine whether the case against the former president moves forward to trial, marking a pivotal moment in the pursuit of justice. via Jasmine Danica Batoctoy, Insight PH