Duterte wants to skip detention hearing too

National

THE International Criminal Court (ICC) is set to conduct its annual review of the detention of former President Rodrigo Duterte.

Duterte, however, has filed an appeal asking the ICC to allow him not to attend the hearing.

In a waiver filed by his legal team on Monday, Duterte said that he is aware of the legal implications of his absence and that he trusts his ICC lawyers to represent him. He also stated that he does not want to follow the hearing via a video link, a report by Philstar said.

The hearing is set for 2 p.m. Friday in The Hague (9 p.m. Manila time) following the closing statements in the confirmation of charges proceedings.

Earlier, the ICC’s Pre-Trial Chamber I allowed Duterte to skip the confirmation hearings. The judges are supposed to carry out the detainee’s status at least once a year, according to the ICC rules. Previous requests for his temporary release were denied.

On the other hand, former presidential legal counsel Salvador Panelo described the arguments presented by the prosecution as pure “speculation, allegation and hearsay.”

There is no concrete evidence that physically proves President Duterte is guilty of the accusations, the former presidential legal counsel asserted.

Panelo also defended Duterte’s previous statements, saying many of them were exaggerated and that was just the way he talked to intimidate criminals.

He again questioned the ICC’s jurisdiction, arguing that the Philippines had already withdrawn from the Rome Statute and that the country’s justice system was capable of handling cases on its own.(Jeff Marco Zamora, BiPSU Comm Intern)