Kin of drug war victims dismayed over postponement of Duterte’s ICC hearing

Families of drug war victims were dismayed over the postponement of former President Rodrigo Duterte’s confirmation of charges hearing before the International Criminal Court (ICC), according to a report on Unang Balita.

Based on the report, the Rise Up for Life and for Rights warned the public not to be swayed by Duterte’s supposed “desperate, time-worn, and calculated ploy to paint himself as aggrieved.”

“If Duterte is feeling ill or not his usual strongman self, he could actually waive his right to be present at the hearing, per rule 124 of the ICC Rules of Procedure and Evidence, and assign his lawyer to represent him,” it said.

The victims’ lawyer said they will coordinate with the Office of the Public Counsel for Victims for the reschedule of the hearing.

This is after the ICC announced that the  confirmation of charges hearing was postponed after the latter’s camp said that he was “not fit to stand trial.” 

Duterte’s confirmation of charges was initially set on September 23.

READ: Duterte's confirmation of charges at ICC: What to expect, what's next

Duterte is under ICC custody to face charges for crimes against humanity over his war on drugs.

Government records showed that around 6,200 drug suspects were killed while human rights organizations say that numbers reach up to 30,000 due to unreported related slays.—Joahna Lei Casilao/AOL, GMA Integrated News