ICC Judge Iulia Motoc denied the request made by former Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, the defense counsel for former President Rodrigo Duterte, to delay Duterte's appearance at The Hague until next week.
During the initial hearing, Medialdea questioned the legality of Duterte's arrest and transfer, calling it an "extrajudicial rendition" and a "kidnapping."
He further stated that he had not been given enough time to discuss the case with Duterte, and claimed that the former president was not provided with a hard copy of the arrest warrant.
"Two days ago, the whole world witnessed the degrading manner in which a former president of a sovereign nation was forcibly taken aboard a private aircraft and transported to The Hague. To us lawyers, this constitutes extrajudicial rendition; to the less legally inclined, it was plain and simple kidnapping. My client was denied any legal recourse in his home country, all of this driven by political motives," Medialdea said.
He also emphasized that Duterte was unable to contribute to the hearing, stressing that he had not been properly informed of the charges in the arrest warrant, citing confidential reasons behind his statement.
Additionally, Medialdea revealed that Duterte was experiencing "debilitating medical issues."