The defense team of Rodrigo Duterte dropped this appeal to the ICC.
The legal team of former President Rodrigo Duterte has withdrawn its appeal to the International Criminal Court (ICC).
“The Defense for Mr. Rodrigo Roa Duterte formally notifies Pre-Trial Chamber I of the withdrawal by the Defense of its Request for Leave to Appeal Decision ICC-01/21-01/25-390-Conf,” former President Rodrigo Duterte’s defense lawyer, Nicolas Kaufman, said in the document.
Kaufman referred to the appeal seeking to disqualify lawyers representing victims in his case to the International Criminal Court (ICC). Duterte’s camp doubted the involvement of the victims’ lawyers, raising concerns over their role in the case.
The appeal was to disqualify Atty. Joel Butuyan and Atty. Gilbert Andres as the Common Legal Representative for Victims (CLRV), and Nicole Acaina as the CLRV case manager.
Duterte’s camp cited a “conflict of interest” and an “impediment to representation,” but the chamber denied the request, stating the defense did not establish a clear basis.
This is another development in the ongoing pre-trial proceedings against Duterte. The former chief executive is facing allegations of crimes against humanity linked to his administration’s war on drugs.
This was a campaign that was launched during his presidency, resulting in thousands of deaths. This has gained domestic and international scrutiny. This anti-drug campaign allegedly resulted in the deaths of at least 6,000 people. However, human rights groups have reported that at least 20,000 people were killed.
Duterte is currently under the ICC’s custody at The Hague. It has been over a year since he was arrested, and his loyal political allies and supporters have been rallying behind him, fighting for his return to the country.
In this case, Duterte’s lawyers have consistently argued that the court has no authority over the Philippines, which withdrew from the ICC in 2019.
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