In what appears to be a first since his arrest in March, the legal team of former president Rodrigo Duterte has formally placed on record that he “did not commit any criminal offense” warranting prosecution before the International Criminal Court (ICC).
“For the sake of clarity and the historical record, Mr. Duterte did not commit any criminal offense,” Duterte’s lawyer Nicholas Kaufman said in a three-page filing dated August 22 before the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I. “Mr. Duterte served his city and country, faithfully and with pride, for many years.”
The filing outlined the defense timeline for Duterte’s confirmation of charges hearing scheduled on September 23. His lawyers said they would allot 30 minutes each for opening and closing arguments, and dedicate three to four hours for their oral presentation.
Kaufman noted that their defense will expand “on a number of core legal issues which concern the modes of liability imputed to Mr. Duterte and the contextual requirements of crimes against humanity.”
This marks the first direct denial from Duterte’s camp of the crimes against humanity of murder charge. Previous filings largely centered on contesting the ICC’s jurisdiction and Duterte’s arrest.
The ICC prosecutor’s application for a warrant accuses Duterte of responsibility for thousands of deaths in the drug war, as well as killings linked to the Davao Death Squad during his time as mayor and vice mayor of Davao City.
So far, hundreds of victims have applied to participate in the ICC proceedings.