The prosecution of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has submitted to the Pre-Trial Chamber I (PTC I) the seventh batch of evidence against former president Rodrigo Duterte, who is facing charges of crimes against humanity of murder in The Hague, Netherlands.
Former president Rodrigo Duterte (ICC Photo)
In a three-page document dated June 4 and signed by ICC deputy prosecutor Mame Mandiaye Niang, the prosecution said it has submitted to the defense on May 30 some 129 items of evidence.
However, the prosecution has deemed the documents “confidential” so access to the items will not be granted to the public.
“The Annexes to this filing are classified as “Confidential” as they refer to confidential evidence disclosed inter partes,” the document read.
The evidence are divided into three categories—modes of liability during presidential period (44 items), barangay clearance operations during presidential period (32 items), and background information as material for the preparation of the defense (53 items).
Some 267 items have already been submitted since the disclosure of evidence period began on April 30. The prosecution was given until July 1 to disclose all evidence it will use against Duterte for the confirmation of charges on Sept. 23.
Any evidence submitted after July 1 cannot be taken into account.
Duterte, who has been detained in The Hague since March 12 after his arrest in the Philippines a day prior, will face the PTC I for the confirmation of charges hearing on Sept. 23.
He is facing 43 counts of murder in connection with his brutal war on drugs campaign during his presidency.
Authorities said some 6,000 mostly-poor Filipinos died during the so-called drug war but human rights groups claimed that the number could go as high as 20,000 to 30,000 extrajudicial killings.