Duterte team ‘prepared’ for confirmation of charges hearing

The defense team of former President Rodrigo Duterte is prepared for his confirmation of charges hearing before the International Criminal Court (ICC), which will take place on Monday afternoon, according to Marisol Abdurahman’s report on Balitanghali.

“The defense only has to make an opening speech. In the afternoon, I anticipate the prosecution will begin its presentation of the evidence,” Atty. Nicholas Kaufman, Duterte’s counsel, said in an interview.

Based on the ICC schedule, the Pre-Trial Chamber I will read the charges against Duterte, who will not be present after the ICC granted his request to waive his right to attend the hearings.

Following this, the ICC Prosecutors, the common legal representative of the victims (CLRVs) and Duterte’s defense team will read their opening statements.

Afterwards, the Prosecution will give its submissions on the merits.

The next hearings will be on February 24, February 26, and February 27.

“In the coming days, the prosecution will present their evidence and we will attack it. We will say why that evidence doesn’t show what the prosecution says it,” Kaufman said.

“I don’t need too much input from the former president because I’m not going to be presenting his version of events, even if he could give me a version of events from recent times,” he added.

The ICC Prosecutor has charged the former President with 49 incidents of murder and attempted murder while implementing his anti-narcotics campaign, “although the actual scale of victimization during the charged period was significantly greater.”

Based on government records, around 6,200 drug suspects were killed during the Duterte administration's anti-drug operations. Human rights organizations, however, say that the number may reach 30,000 due to the unreported related killings. —Joahna Lei Casilao/AOL, GMA Integrated News