Duterte defense team to appeal ICC ruling

The defense team of former president Rodrigo Duterte will appeal the latest decision of the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) pretrial chamber that affirmed its jurisdiction on the former leader’s crimes against humanity case.

- By RAYMUND ANTONIO

Nicholas Kaufman, Duterte’s lead counsel, told NewsWatch Plus that the defense anticipated the decision, and already has plans to appeal it.

“In its upcoming appeal, the Defense will seek to persuade a majority of judges that jurisdiction may not be exercised as was accepted by two appeals judges when similar arguments were raised by none other than lawyers acting on behalf of the Marcos administration,” the lawyer said.

The Pre-Trial Chamber I of the ICC denied on Oct. 23 the defense team’s jurisdiction challenge that the international court no longer has jurisdiction over the alleged crimes committed in the Philippines under Duterte’s drug war because the country withdrew from the Rome Statute in 2019.

According to the 32-page document, the ICC still has jurisdiction over the crimes committed in the country between Nov. 1, 2011 and March 16, 2019, when the withdrawal from the Rome Statute took effect.