THE legal team of former president Rodrigo Duterte has disclosed 30 distinct items of evidence to prosecutors at the International Criminal Court (ICC), a court filing shows.
Based on a public notification document from the ICC’s Pre-Trial Chamber I, the disclosure occurred in two batches this month.
The defense handed over 29 items of evidence to the Office of the Prosecutor and the Office of Public Counsel for Victims on Sept. 5. A further item was disclosed to the same parties on Sept. 11.
The nature and content of the disclosed evidence are not described in the public filing. Those details are contained in a confidential annex, available only to the defense, prosecution and lawyers for victims, a standard procedure for protecting sensitive material exchanged before a trial.
The step is a key phase of the pretrial process, where both sides must share evidence with each other.
The ICC is investigating allegations of crimes against humanity committed in the course of the “war on drugs” waged during Duterte’s presidency.
The ICC has recently indefinitely postponed the confirmation of charges hearing for Duterte, originally scheduled last Sept. 23. The delay follows a request from Duterte’s legal team to assess his fitness to stand trial due to alleged health issues.
According to the ICC’s Pre-Trial Chamber I, the defense submitted a motion on Aug. 18, citing concerns over Duterte’s ability to participate in the proceedings. The chamber granted the postponement to determine if the 80-year-old former president is medically fit to follow and engage in the pretrial process.
The exact nature of Duterte’s health concerns remains undisclosed, with court documents heavily redacted to protect his privacy.
The postponement of the pretrial hearing has drawn international attention, with human rights organizations and victims’ families advocating for accountability.
The outcome of the pretrial proceedings will determine if the case proceeds to trial.
