ICC is the 'appropriate forum' for legal arguments, prosecution tells Duterte’s lawyers

The Office of the Prosecutor maintains that the International Criminal Court (ICC) is the “appropriate forum” for legal arguments and submissions, in response to claims by former President Rodrigo Duterte’s defense team that the prosecution’s document naming his alleged co-conspirators was “completely lacking in truth”.

“The Office of the Prosecutor does not generally comment on public statements or speculations made by counsel,” it told GMA Integrated News when asked to comment on a statement made by Duterte’s lead counsel, Atty. Nicholas Kaufman on Friday, following the release of the Document Containing the Charges (DCC) submitted by the Prosecution.

To recall, Kaufman said the defense “have known the identities of the alleged co-perpetrators for almost a year and, as required by the Court, have guarded them in absolute confidentiality.”

GMA Integrated News also asked the ICC and the Office of the Prosecutor to comment on whether the DCC’s release follows the order of the procedure for the upcoming confirmation of charges hearing.

The Office of the Prosecutor said it “works independently and strictly on the basis of the Rome Statute, the evidence available, and applicable law”.

“The Office remains focused on its mandate, in accordance with the established legal process. As previously stated, we cannot provide comments on matters related to ongoing investigations,” the message read.

The DCC named eight alleged co-conspirators, including incumbent senators Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa and Christoper Lawrence “Bong” Go, and several other police officials during Duterte’s mayorship in Davao City and succeeding presidency.

For Kaufman, the “sensational reporting” of the list was “clearly politically motivated”.

“It flies in the face of prosecutorial logic to seek further warrants in the Philippines situation before the decision of the Appeals Chamber on the former President’s jurisdictional challenge. The sensational reporting of this list, however, is clearly politically motivated and designed to decimate the Senate in the hope of perverting the democratic will of the Filipino people,” he told GMA Integrated News in a message on Friday.

The former president is being investigated by the ICC for crimes against humanity that he allegedly committed during his administration’s deadly drug war.

He has been detained at the Scheveningen Detention Center in the Netherlands for nearly 11 months. The charges against Duterte will be confirmed during a hearing on February 23, 24, 26, and 27. — BAP, GMA Integrated News