Reject Duterte appeal bid on charges, ICC judges urged

MANILA, Philippines — International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutors and lawyers representing the families of victims of former president Rodrigo Duterte’s bloody war on drugs are contesting his lead counsel’s request for leave to appeal the pre-trial’s confirming the charges of crimes against humanity against him.

The ICC Office of the Prosecutor and the common legal representatives of the victims on Monday filed separate responses to defense counsel Nicholas Kaufman’s request for leave to appeal the April 23 decision of the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I.

“The defense misrepresents and expresses its mere disagreement with the decision. As such, the request does not identify any appealable issues and fails to meet the cumulative criteria for leave to appeal,” ICC deputy prosecutor Mame Mandiaye Niang said in his 12-page response.

“Rather than raising a discrete legal question warranting interlocutory review, the request reiterates arguments already fully considered and rejected by Pre- Trial Chamber I… and reflects nothing more than the defense’s disagreement with the chamber’s reasoning and its assessment of the evidence,” the victims’ lawyers said in their separate 12-page filing.

Kaufman’s request for leave, if granted, will authorize the defense to raise their issues before the ICC Appeals Chamber.

Speaking from The Hague, Vice President Sara Duterte however said that her father’s lawyers are ready for trial. “Well, I accepted it as it is. We’ve already discussed that with our lawyers. We don’t see any way that the ICC will let go of the case of (former) president Duterte since this is only one of the two ICC cases. So we don’t think that they will let this go,” the Vice President said. — Bella Cariaso