The ongoing proceedings at The Hague over alleged crimes against humanity linked to former president Rodrigo Duterte remain firmly victim-centered, with a meticulous selection of witnesses and strict adherence to due process, according to International Criminal Court (ICC)-accredited lawyer Atty. Gilbert Andres.

“For all intents and purposes, hindi maraming witnesses. Hindi naman po lahat mapreresenta. It has to be done in a manner that will also support the case itself,” Andres explained.

Speaking in an interview with dzBB on Monday, Andres, who also serves as executive director of the Center for International Law (CenterLaw), emphasized that the ICC’s goal is to uncover the truth while ensuring that international human rights standards are upheld.

“The whole process ng ICC is a victim-centered process kasi these proceedings are being done so that there will be justice for the victims,” he said, stressing that the case falls under international crimes, specifically crimes against humanity.

Andres added that their legal team consistently updates the families of victims on the developments in the case.

“Palagi namin ino-orient at ina-update 'yung aming mga client, 'yung mga kaanak ng mga biktima,” he said, adding that they also lay out the timeline of proceedings for transparency.

Duterte appears before the ICC

Duterte made his first appearance at the ICC on Friday, joining via videolink during the opening of the hearing on crimes against humanity linked to his deadly war on drugs. He is the first ex-Asian head of state to face such charges at the ICC.

The former president faces accusations related to at least 43 killings, including, 19 murders allegedly carried out by the Davao Death Squad (DDS) between 2011 and 2016 when he was Davao City mayor, and; 24 killings allegedly linked to police and law enforcement units across the Philippines between 2016 and 2019 during his presidency.

On the victims' legal representation

Andres, along with fellow ICC-accredited lawyer Atty. Joel Ruiz Butuyan, is part of the legal efforts supporting victims' representation. However, he clarified that the appointment of a Legal Representative for Victims (LRV) is a separate process handled by the ICC. The court requires that any appointed lawyer must be accredited to represent the victims properly.

“Wala pong pwedeng makapag-sabi na walang due process sa ICC dahil yan po ang talagang pinapahalagahan — the process [where the accused is accorded] the right to a fair trial,” Andres asserted.

By September, the prosecution aims to present compelling evidence to establish “substantial ground to believe” that the accused committed the crimes. Once the charges are confirmed, the case will proceed to a full-blown trial.

“Dito po ilalatag ng prosecution ang kanyang evidence that will establish substantial ground to believe na talagang yung accused po ang gumawa ng krimen na ito,” Andres explained.