Pre-trial decision vs Duterte transmitted to ICC presidency

MANILA, Philippines — The decision confirming the charges against former president Rodrigo Duterte has been formally transmitted to the presidency of the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The ICC Registry, which is in charge of “non-judicial aspects of the administration and the servicing of the court,” formally transmitted the decision confirming all charges against the former president to the ICC presidency.

The ICC presidency, composed of a president and two vice presidents elected among the ICC judges, is in charge of assigning cases to trial chambers.

It is expected to constitute a trial chamber that would take over the case from the Pre-Trial Chamber I, which made the ruling that confirmed all charges of crimes against humanity against Duterte last April 23.

In addition to the decision of the pre-trial chamber, the registry’s transmission also included indices of all filings, transcripts of hearings and evidentiary materials.

The attached documents were either classified as “secret” or “confidential.”

There is no timeline yet as to when the trial proper would begin, but the ICC said the trial chamber – which will be composed of a new set of judges – “will soon be constituted.”

In its decision confirming the charges, the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I found that there are substantial grounds to believe that Duterte is criminally responsible for the crimes charged in relation to his administration’s deadly campaign against illegal drugs and the killings of the so-called Davao death squad.

The defense is still planning to challenge the pre-trial chamber’s decision, although no filing has been made public as of Monday afternoon (Manila time).