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Ex-OVP spox: Sara's remarks about father's health not helpful to ICC case

Philippines | National

Ex-OVP spox: Sara's remarks about father's health not helpful to ICC case

By Raymund Antonio

Vice President Sara Duterte and former vice presidential spokesperson Barry Gutierrez (OVP Photos)

Vice President Sara Duterte and former vice presidential spokesperson Barry Gutierrez (OVP Photos)

The comments made by Vice President Sara Duterte that former president Rodrigo Duterte is “okay” will not help in his appeal to adjourn his case before the International Criminal Court (ICC) because he is allegedly unfit to stand trial.

This was what former Office of the Vice President (OVP) spokesman Atty. Barry Gutierrez said in a recent post on X (formerly Twitter).

“This definitely doesn’t help their lawyer’s argument that his client is “not fit” to stand trial,” he wrote.

He also shared a news article about the Vice President’s remarks, wherein she also revealed how they talked about politics, the flood control issue, and her father’s personal life during a phone call last week.

She also said that there would be a “competency” hearing to determine her father’s ability to stand trial after the ICC’s pre-trial chamber postponed the Sept. 23 confirmation of charges hearing.

In a petition for an indefinite adjournment filed by Atty. Nicholas Kaufman, the former president’s lead counsel, he claimed that the elder Duterte is not fit to stand trial because of declining cognitive health.

The lawyer argued that the former chief executive has now difficulty recalling events, places, and even members of his close family.

The elder Duterte is facing crimes against humanity of murder in connection to the thousands of Filipinos who died in the name of his administration’s brutal war on drugs. He has been detained in The Hague, Netherlands since March.

An interim release request and jurisdiction challenge are also pending before the ICC’s pre-trial chamber.

Related Tags

ICC VP Sara Duterte Rodrigo Duterte Barry Gutierrez competency hearing

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