Manila, Philippines – Former President Rodrigo Duterte is in big trouble. He’s being investigated by a powerful world court called the International Criminal Court (ICC) because many people died during his strong campaign against illegal drugs.
Now, here’s the latest update…
🧑⚖️ Duterte’s Lawyer Stops the Fight to Remove Two Judges
Duterte’s lawyer, Nicolas Kaufman, said they have decided not to push through with their earlier plan to remove two judges from the court case. These judges, Reine Alapini-Gansou and Maria del Socorro Flores Liera, are part of the team who will decide if Duterte should face punishment for crimes against humanity.
That means they believe Duterte might have hurt or allowed people to be hurt or killed during his anti-drug campaign.
🤔 Why Did They Want to Remove the Judges?
The lawyer thought that these two judges might be unfair. Why? Because earlier in the case, they agreed that the ICC has the power to investigate Duterte. The lawyer said this could be a “conflict of interest,” which means the judges might already have their minds made up.
🗣 But the ICC Said “NO”
The ICC didn’t agree with Duterte’s lawyer. They said:
“Judges are allowed to do their jobs at different parts of the case. That doesn’t mean they’re unfair.”
In short: Just because the judges made an earlier decision, doesn’t mean they can’t be fair later.
😶 So Why Stop the Appeal?
In a new interview posted on July 3, the lawyer was asked if they would still try to fight the decision. He said:
“No, I’m not going to. Some new information has come up, and that changed my mind. But I can’t talk about it.”
So, even though the lawyer had a plan, something secret happened that made him back off. That adds a bit of mystery and drama to the case!
🔍 What’s Next?
Now that Duterte’s team won’t try to remove the judges, the case will move forward. The ICC will continue looking into what happened during Duterte’s drug war.
They want to know:
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Were innocent people hurt?
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Were laws broken?
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And should anyone be punished?
