Prosecutors at the International Criminal Court (ICC) have requested that the tribunal reject an attempt by former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte to overturn the confirmation of charges linked to his deadly anti-drug campaign.
In a 12-page submission dated May 4, the prosecution argued before the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I that Duterte’s defense team failed to introduce any novel legal arguments, choosing instead to rehash points from a prior ruling they had already lost.
Duterte’s counsel had previously asserted that the chamber’s decision lacked clarity regarding the precise scope of the allegations and failed to properly demonstrate how the evidence aligned with the specific charges.
However, the prosecution countered that the court’s earlier decision had already thoroughly dealt with those matters. They stated that the defense was misrepresenting the judicial findings rather than pointing out a legitimate error in law.
“In fact, the chamber solicited additional submissions from the parties on this issue, considered arguments in detail, and clearly articulated its findings with respect to the scope of the charges in the decision,” the ICC prosecutors said.
The prosecution further clarified that the current stage of the proceedings is not a full-scale criminal trial, but rather a preliminary review meant to establish whether enough evidence exists to advance the case.
“The defence thus misrepresents the decision in this respect and fails to demonstrate an appealable issue,” it said.
Dismissing allegations of procedural unfairness from Duterte’s camp, the prosecutors emphasized that the defense will have ample opportunity to present and fully examine all arguments and evidence should the case move forward to an actual trial.