What lies ahead for Duterte at ICC?

MANILA, Philippines — Two days after he was placed under custody, former president Rodrigo Duterte was scheduled to appear for the first time yesterday before judges of the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I, which issued the arrest warrant against Duterte, scheduled his first appearance at 2 p.m. in The Hague (9 p.m. in Manila).

This first event is not yet the pre-trial phase and is mainly procedural.

“During the initial appearance hearing, the judges will verify the identity of the suspect and the language in which he is able to follow the proceedings. He will be informed of the charges against him and of his rights under the ICC Rome Statute,” the ICC said.

The public hearing will be broadcast with a 30-minute delay in accordance with ICC regulations to protect any potential sensitive information.

Because the number of visitors that can be accommodated in the public gallery is limited, members of the diplomatic corps and civil society can request attendance via the court’s email, with requests granted on a first-come, first-served basis. Journalists wishing to cover the hearing can also request accreditation via email.

According to the ICC website, three pre-trial judges will confirm the suspect’s identity and ensure the suspect understands the charges.

After hearing the prosecution, the defense and the legal representative of victims, the judges decide (usually within 60 days) if there is enough evidence for the case to go to trial.

Duterte is facing charges as an “indirect co-conspirator” for alleged crimes against humanity in relation to his administration’s war against illegal drugs and the killings committed by the so-called Davao Death Squad.

On March 7, the Pre-Trial Chamber I – composed of Judges Iulia Antoanella Motoc, Reine Adélaïde Sophie Alapini-Gansou and María del Socorro Flores Liera – granted the request of the ICC prosecutor to issue a warrant for Duterte’s arrest.

Hospital checkup sought for Duterte

The camp of the former president requested that he be brought to a hospital because of health concerns, former executive secretary Salvador Medialdea said yesterday, as he lamented the difficulties in knowing Duterte’s whereabouts upon being taken into ICC custody.

“Before we deplaned, we had a meeting with the (representatives of the) International Criminal Court. I requested that the former president be brought directly to the hospital because of his bad medical conditions. It was almost a 24-hour flight. He just came from Hong Kong. He was not allowed to visit his home, not even allowed to see a doctor in a hospital before he could be transported here,” Medialdea said.

The Office of the President (OP) paid for the chartered plane used to bring Duterte to The Hague in the Netherlands after an arrest warrant was served immediately after his arrival from Hong Kong on Tuesday.

“We made a request for a hospitalization and gave assurance that he will be brought to a hospital and I asked for the name of the hospital and up to now, we have not been given the name of the hospital, so we took the position that he could have been brought here directly and we are told that Duterte is inside the facility,” Medialdea said.

Medialdea added that he was at a loss on the exact location of Duterte.

“I think this is part of their grand plan to kidnap the president, to extract the president from the Philippines and brought to a jet without the known destination. I was even forced to join the plane even without any valid visa coming here,” he said.

“They are telling me that there is no Rodrigo Duterte inside the facility. They do not disclose what hospital he was brought to and we assumed that he was brought here last night after the deplaning. I hope he is in the hospital somewhere but not in this facility,” he said.

Medialdea added that Duterte has no medicine with him.

“When he was taken by an ambulance, we only gave his records. They assured that the president will be taken care of,” he said.