The defense lawyer of former president Rodrigo Duterte is seeking to cancel the confirmation of charges hearing for his crimes against humanity charges, citing the need for a status conference to be able to raise new information about the case.
Duterte camp wants ICC to cancel Sept. 23 confirmation of charges hearing
Former president Rodrigo Duterte (ICC Photo)
In a four-page document filed on July 17, lead counsel Nicholas Kaufman stressed the defense’s “urgent request for a status conference” and notified the Pre-Trial Chamber I (PTC I) that it has received “further [REDACTED] information” about the former president.
“For the sake of clarity, and in light of the newly received [REDACTED] information, the Defence formally notifies the Pre-Trial Chamber that it will raise the issue of [REDACTED] as a bar to the holding of a hearing on the confirmation of charges,” the document read.
“The status conference requested would facilitate the procedure for allowing this matter to be litigated appropriately,” it added.
Kaufman also alleged that an intervention from the ICC’s Registrar prevented the defense from appealing to the Presidency of the court.
Duterte is scheduled to appear for a confirmation of charges hearing on Sept. 23. The hearing will determine if the case will proceed to trial or not.
The former president is facing crimes against humanity of murder charges in relation to his administration’s brutal war on drugs campaign that killed thousands of mostly impoverished Filipinos.
His camp, however, argued that the ICC has no jurisdiction on the case and seeks for Duterte’s temporary release from detention. No decision has been made on both petitions.