ICC lawyer says Duterte family shows pattern of avoiding proceedings

A lawyer representing victims before the International Criminal Court said the Duterte family has shown a pattern of avoiding legal proceedings, as the tribunal prepares to hand down its ruling tomorrow on former president Rodrigo Duterte’s challenge to its jurisdiction.

In a radio interview, International Criminal Court (ICC) Assistant to Counsel Maria Kristina Conti noted that Duterte’s repeated absences — both in the ICC process and in domestic hearings involving his daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte — signal a consistent approach to evading accountability.

“Mukhang nakikitaan ko rin ito. May pattern. Mukhang ang Duterte family, ganito talaga ang kanilang galawan na kapag panahon na ng husgahan, a-absent sila,” Conti said.

She made the remark as the ICC Appeals Chamber prepares to publicly release its decision on Duterte’s bid to stop the court from asserting jurisdiction over alleged crimes against humanity tied to the administration’s anti-drug campaign. 

The ruling will be read on 22 April, a schedule Conti said strongly suggests that the decision has already been finalized internally.

“Mukhang wala nang makapipigil… sa 22, babasahin lang naman ito. Tingin ko may desisyon na at this point,” she said.

Duterte has argued that the ICC no longer has authority over the Philippines after its 2019 withdrawal from the Rome Statute. 

But Conti pointed out that the former president had already lost the same argument before the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber, prompting his appeal to the higher Appeals Chamber, which she likened to the Supreme Court.

She also said another major ICC action is expected before the end of April or early May: the decision on whether there is sufficient evidence to bring Duterte to a full trial.

Should the case advance, Duterte would be required to appear at certain key stages such as arraignment, though ICC rules allow the accused to skip some hearings.

Victims’ representatives are expected to attend the reading of the decision.

Conti said victims and families of those killed in anti-drug operations are closely watching the upcoming announcements, hoping for movement in a case that has drawn global attention and domestic political tension.