THE HAGUE — The prosecution of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has trimmed down its evidence inventory against detained former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte by dropping 253 items, with thousands more potentially on the chopping block.
In a redacted public filing released on October 12, the prosecution disclosed that it updated its evidence registry following a review prompted by a status conference held last month. The revised compilation was officially submitted to ICC Trial Chamber III on October 6.
According to the office, the adjustments were implemented to offer “a clearer understanding of the categories of evidence the prosecution seeks to rely upon.” The updated inventory categorizes the material into seven distinct groups, which encompass witness testimonies, public speeches delivered by Duterte, datasets, nongovernmental organization documentation, and other open-source records.
Furthermore, prosecutors highlighted that the evidence cited in their trial brief and accompanying annexes constitutes the “key items of evidence” anchoring their case. While 253 items were excluded during the review, the filing clarified that the removal did not mean the materials were judged unreliable.
The prosecution also noted that nearly 7,000 additional items could be scrapped if Duterte’s defense team agrees to a proposed set of facts regarding a specific bundle of evidence. Such an agreement would significantly minimize the volume of documents requiring formal presentation or formal dispute during trial proceedings.
Retained materials currently include Philippine National Police (PNP) data logs detailing deaths tied to anti-drug operations and other drug-related incidents within the timeline specified in the charges.
Duterte faces formal charges of crimes against humanity relating to widespread murders allegedly committed during his tenure as Davao City mayor and subsequently as president, covering a jurisdiction window from November 1, 2011, to March 16, 2019, while the Philippines remained a state party to the Rome Statute.