ICC counsel to Bato: No testimonies in Duterte case forced

The International Criminal Court (ICC) does not force nor make testimonies for witnesses, and the procedure in taking testimonies is very transparent, an ICC-accredited lawyer said after Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa claimed that investigators are forcing former police officials to execute affidavits against him and detained former President Rodrigo Duterte.

As reported on GMA’s “24 Oras Weekend” on Sunday, ICC assistant to counsel Kristina Conti said that questions involving the investigation are under strict guidelines, with camera recordings always made available. 

Moreover, she added, important witnesses will have to personally give their testimony before the ICC,

Conti’s remarks come after Dela Rosa—the Philippine National Police (PNP) chief during Duterte’s bloody campaign against illegal drugs—said ICC investigators are in the country to force former officials to execute affidavits.

Dela Rosa was among the 12 candidates elected or re-elected to the Senate in the midterm elections where he ran under the Duterte-led PDP-Laban faction. He said he will launch an inquiry into the matter.

Dela Rosa earlier tagged himself as the number two accused in the ICC case against Duterte, and questioned the arrest of the former President before the Supreme Court.

The ICC has been investigating Duterte and other top officials of his administration for crimes against humanity over the alleged systematic drug war deaths in police operations.

These deaths reached around 6,000 based on police records, but human rights groups contend that the deaths were as much as 30,000, including vigilante killings.

Duterte, who repeatedly said he would accept full legal responsibility for the consequences of his campaign against illegal drugs, was brought to The Hague in The Netherlands earlier in March to be tried for crimes against humanity.

One of his legal counsel, lawyer Nicholas Kaufman, said Duterte is being “illegally detained” and should be brought back to the Philippines “as soon as possible.” — Jon Viktor D. Cabuenas/BM, GMA Integrated News