Sisimulan sa November 30 ang trial ni dating President Rodrigo Duterte sa International Criminal Court (ICC) sa The Hague, Netherlands, kaugnay ng crimes against humanity charges na iniuugnay sa kanyang war on drugs.
Itinakda ng ICC Trial Chamber III ang petsa sa first status conference nitong Miyerkules, May 27. Hindi dumalo si Duterte matapos niyang i-waive ang kanyang right to appear.
“The expediency of the trial is of the upmost importance,” ani Presiding Judge Joanna Korner, habang tinatanggihan ang hiling na iurong ang petsa dahil sa concerns sa kakulangan ng translators.
Si Duterte, 81, ang magiging unang Asian former head of state na haharap sa trial sa ICC. Nahaharap siya sa three counts of crimes against humanity na may kinalaman sa 49 incidents at pagkamatay ng 76 individuals sa anti-drug campaign mula 2013 hanggang 2018, noong panahon niya bilang Davao City mayor at kalaunan bilang Pangulo.
Ayon sa prosecution, inaasahan nilang magpapatawag ng 60 hanggang 70 witnesses, kabilang ang humigit-kumulang 31 insider witnesses.
Noong confirmation of charges hearings, inilarawan ni prosecution lawyer Julian Nicholls ang kaso laban kay Duterte.
“Decades of murdering his own people, murdering the children of the Philippines, and he claims that he did it all for his country. He doesn’t deny it,” ani Nicholls.
“He ran a death squad in Davao hat he created. He ran it for over 20 years before he became president. His promise was to kill thousands and he did.”
Itinanggi naman ni Duterte ang mga akusasyon. Nauna nang sinabi ng dating defense lawyer niyang si Nicholas Kaufman na “absolutely” naninindigan si Duterte sa kanyang innocence. Iginiit din ni Kaufman na ang ebidensya laban sa kanya ay “wholly insufficient” at ang charges ay “grievously misplaced and politically motivated.”
Sa status conference, unang humarap bilang bagong lead counsel ni Duterte si British barrister Peter Haynes, kapalit ni Kaufman. Hiniling ni Haynes na huwag munang magtakda ng trial date habang nakabinbin ang usapin sa kalusugan ni Duterte at paghahanda ng defense.
“We will be ready for whenever you want it to start, but our anxiety is that that should not be a date which leaves us with perhaps one or two months after the end of prosecution disclosure. It should be a minimum of three (months),” ani Haynes.
Sinagot ito ni Korner sa pagsasabing kailangang magsimula agad ang trial dahil sa kalagayan ng akusado.
“But there are pressing reasons which mandate that we really should start this trial as soon as possible, which is basically the health of your client,” ani Korner.
Sinabi rin ni Korner: “I am prepared to accede to the prosecution’s request,” pero inutos pa rin ang karagdagang assessment sa fitness ni Duterte bago magsimula ang proceedings.
Ayon sa chamber, tatakbo ang trial araw-araw, limang araw kada linggo, hanggang court’s Christmas recess, maliban kung may pagbabago batay sa reports tungkol sa fitness ni Duterte to stand trial.
Para sa victims’ representatives, masyadong matagal kung sa 2027 pa magsisimula ang trial.
“We want this trial to start tomorrow—that’s as simple as that. However, after the submissions of the parties, we had further discussion with our clients and they are amenable to start this trial on 30th of November, [which] seems to them, at the moment, is still a reasonable period of time,” ani Paolina Massidda ng Office of Public Counsel for Victims.
“January 2027? No. For them, it’s too long,” dagdag niya.
Tinalakay din sa status conference ang language at interpretation. Sinabi ng prosecution na mahalagang maabot ng proceedings ang mga Pilipinong sumusubaybay sa kaso, lalo na ang victims at affected communities na hindi sanay sa English.
“There’s a lot of interest in this case in the Philippines,” ani Nicholls.
Hinimok ni Korner ang court staff na tiyaking may interpretation sa mga wikang sinasalita sa Pilipinas, kabilang ang Tagalog.
Binigyan ang prosecution hanggang June 29 para isumite ang provisional list of witnesses at evidence, at hanggang August 31 kung magdaragdag ito ng killing incidents at listahan ng experts. Magpupulong muli ang parties sa June 23 at July 14 para sa second at third status conferences.
Unang isinuko si Duterte sa ICC noong March 12, 2025 at humarap sa korte noong March 14. Noong April 23, unanimously kinumpirma ng Pre-Trial Chamber I ang lahat ng charges laban sa kanya at inilipat ang kaso sa Trial Chamber. Noong April 24, binuo ng ICC Presidency ang Trial Chamber III para humawak sa Duterte case.
Kaugnay ng kaso, in-unseal din ng ICC ang arrest warrant laban kay Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, dating Philippine National Police chief sa ilalim ni Duterte. Ayon sa mga ulat, nagtatago na si Dela Rosa matapos ang standoff sa Senate building na may kasamang putukan, habang sinabi ng Philippine authorities na huhulihin siya at isusuko sa ICC. /Bistado