MANILA: The camp of former President Rodrigo Duterte has again asked the pretrial chamber of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to release the former leader even as he awaits the court’s decision on whether he is fit to face trial on the charge of crimes against humanity for which he was arrested in March.
Duterte was scheduled to undergo a confirmation of charges proceeding on Sept. 23, but the chamber postponed it after the former president’s lawyers argued that he was unfit to face trial because of his alleged cognitive deficiencies, a matter the court said it would determine later.
In a document filed on Sept. 16, Duterte’s lawyers again pleaded for his immediate release or transfer to an unnamed country.
“Mr. Duterte should not remain in detention while proceedings on fitness—now expected to take no less than [redacted] at a minimum—are underway,” they said in their latest “notification” to the court. “Administrative delay, occasioned by [redacted], cannot justify the abrogation of liberty. Provisional release should be ordered as soon as continuing detention ceases to be reasonable,” they added.
On the same day, the defence also disclosed for the first time the initial set of evidence it would use in Duterte’s crimes against humanity case.
The defence camp said it turned over to the Office of the Prosecutor and the Office of Public Counsel for Victims at least 30 pieces of evidence, 29 of which were submitted on Sept. 5, while only one item was submitted on Sept. 11. But the nature and details of the evidence were classified confidential. - Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN
