ICC prosecutor submits 139 items of evidence in Duterte case

The prosecution in former President Rodrigo Duterte’s crimes against humanity case before the International Criminal Court (ICC) has submitted 139 items of evidence against him.

Based on a document dated May 5, ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan submitted 139 items of evidence that are organized in four disclosure packages to the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber 1 on April 30.

The packages are labeled contextual elements, modes of liability, murder during Duterte’s term as mayor, and murder under barangay clearance operations during his term as president.

Duterte is under custody of the ICC in The Hague, Netherlands to face charges over his administration’s war on drugs.

Based on government records, around 6,200 drug suspects were killed during the Duterte administration's anti-drug operations. Human rights organizations, however, say the number may reach 30,000 due to the unreported related slays.

The former Philippine leader made his first appearance before the international tribunal through video on March 14. His confirmation of charges will take place on September 23, 2025.

Khan previously said that they are preparing two witnesses, 16 hours of audio video files, and nearly 9,000 pages of documents for the confirmation of charges.

In a related development, the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber has denied the appeal of Duterte's camp to excuse two judges from ruling on jurisdiction of the tribunal over his crimes against humanity case.

In a four-page decision dated May 6, the chamber noted that a judge’s excusal can only be sought by the concerned judge before the presidency, as opposed to disqualification which the parties may request.

The decision was signed by Presiding Judge Iulia Antonella Motoc.

“The possibility for that person to invite or request judges to seek excusal before the Presidency is thus not contemplated in the statutory texts,” the decision read.

“As stated by the Presidency, ‘no preemptive request may be made by the parties that a judge request his or her excusal’ and such course of action ‘lacks procedural propriety’,” it added. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News