10 seek inclusion in ICC case vs Duterte

At least 10 individuals, including victims or their relatives of the bloody drug war, have expressed interest in being added to the number of complainants in the case against former President Rodrigo Duterte before the International Criminal Court (ICC), according to Kristina Conti, one of the lawyers of the victims of extrajudicial killings.

Conti, an assistant counsel at the ICC, said in an interview that despite some families experiencing online harassment and bullying after coming forward, several still want their cases added to the list against Duterte.

“Around 10 have contacted us to be added to the list for the case,” she said in Filipino, noting that the process for applications of victims and witnesses has yet to open.

Conti clarified that witnesses, particularly “premium” witnesses, who have first-hand knowledge of the crimes, will have a separate application process.

The victims’ legal team is working on processing these applications once the necessary steps are officially released.

The 80-year-old Duterte is facing a charge of crimes against humanity, specifically murder, related to 43 extrajudicial killings that took place during his war on drugs between November 2011 and March 2019, including those linked to the Davao Death Squad when Duterte was mayor of Davao City.

Meanwhile, ICC spokesperson Dr. Fadi El Abdallah explained that the 43 cases are just “samples” and more cases could be included as the judicial process progresses.

“These are incidents that were deemed sufficient by the judges to sustain the charge of murder as a crime against humanity,” he said.

At present, Duterte is facing a single charge for crimes committed between November 2011 and March 2019.

However, his legal team, led by British-Israeli lawyer Nicholas Kaufman, has hinted that additional evidence could lead to more charges when the confirmation of charges hearing takes place on 23 September.

The defense team has applied for Duterte’s temporary release pending the trial, a move the victims’ lawyers have vowed to strongly oppose.