By: Villamor C. Visaya Jr.
(Published in its print edition on March 8 – 14, 2025)
PREPARING his defense is crucial and the time to do it is so short a period for former President Rodrigo Duterte.
Haled before the International Criminal Court (ICC) based in Hague, Netherlands for charges against humanity, Duterte is hard-pressed now.
The panel of lawyers must be racing to do their chores. His initial appearance last Friday is the start of a legal process until he will be appearing anew on September 23 to confirm the charges against him.
ICC-accredited lawyer Joel Butuyan was correct when he opined over the radio that the disclosure of evidence by the prosecution is the most serious period.
Duterte’s defense would largely revolves against the evidence by the prosecution.
Whether the claim of former Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, also an ICC-accredited lawyer and part of the Duterte defense panel led by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, will matter is yet to be seen.
He questioned the manner of Duterte’s arrest and the ICC’s jurisdiction over the Philippines based on its withdrawal from the Rome Statute effective March 2019.
For Butuyan, Roque’s claim does not stand legally as the withdrawal of the Philippine from the Rome Statute came only in 2018 and became effective a year thereafter. However, the alleged drug war killings were reported when the Philippines was still a member.
As days go on, the plot thickens.#
