Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte. ARCHIVE

The International Criminal Court (ICC) Pre-Trial Chamber I has approved former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s request to skip his confirmation of charges hearing. The chamber ruled that proceedings scheduled from February 23 to 27 will move forward without his physical presence in court. Earlier, the ICC Prosecution opposed Duterte’s bid to waive his right to appear at the hearing. In a six-page filing dated February 19, Deputy Prosecutor Mame Mandiaye Niang argued that Duterte’s request did not meet the legal threshold required for the proceedings to continue without him present. “Duterte primarily seeks to waive his right to appear on the basis that he does not ‘recognise the jurisdiction’ of the Court, states that he was ‘kidnapped’, and claims that the charges against him constitute ‘an outrageous lie’ invented by his political opponents,” the filing stated. “These statements are a continuation of Mr. Duterte’s rejection of the legitimacy of the proceedings against him before the Court.” Despite the prosecution’s opposition, the Pre-Trial Chamber ruled that the confirmation of charges hearing will proceed in his absence. The confirmation hearing is a key stage in ICC proceedings, during which judges determine whether there is sufficient evidence to move forward to trial. ICA/Expat Media
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