Former president Rodrigo Duterte’s initial appearance before the Pre-Trial Chamber I of the International Criminal Court, Marcg 14, 2025. ICC 

MANILA — The International Criminal Court has denied the petition of former president Rodrigo Duterte’s team for the excusal of two judges.  

The ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I noted that Duterte’s lawyers on May 1 challenged the jurisdiction of the tribunal over the Philippines. 

On the same day, Duterte’s camp sought the excusal of judges Reine Adélaide Sophie Alapini Gansou and María del Socorro Flores Liera from adjudicating on the jurisdiction issue. 

The Duterte teamcited “the possibility of perceived bias”, given the judges’ prior ruling on “substantially the same issue.”

But the pre-trial chamber said the petition “lacks procedural propriety.”

It noted that under the Rome Statute and Rules of Procedure and Evidence, only a judge can seek their excusal from the ICC Presidency.   

“As stated by the Presidency, ‘no preemptive request may be made by the parties that a judge request his or her excusal’ and such course of action ‘lacks procedural propriety,’” the chamber said in a May 6 decision. 

‘TRIAL READY’?   

ICC Assistant to Counsel Atty. Kristina Conti said the decision showed that the couthey could be ready to proceed with trial. 

"Ang inhibisyon o ang patatanggal ng huwes sa isang chamber sa korte ay naayon sa kanilang sariling patakaran. Ang lumalabas, walang basehan para tanggalin o kaya i-excuse ang dalawang judge doon sa Pre-Trial Chamber I na dumidinig doon sa inisyal na mga issue sa kaso ni Duterte," Consti said. 

"Mukhang ang sabi ng defense ay may pre-judgment na sila pero sa totoo hindi ito basehan para i-excuse sila. Kaya ang sa amin, mukhang trial ready, hindi lang ang Office of the Prosecutor kundi pati yung Pre-Trial Chamber o yung mga huwes mismo," Conti explained. 

The lawyer said they expected Duterte's legal team to be "litigious" with his ICC case.

"Mukhang nagsisinsin yung kampo ni Duterte at bawat kibot ay kukwestiyonin niya. Mapa-may basis man o wala. Kaya ito ang inaasahan naman namin simula't sapul na litigious. Magiging litigious ang kampo ni Duterte patungkol dito sa ICC case. At bawat issue na makikita niya ay itatanong niya, kukwestiyunin niya," she said. 

Conti admitted they were concerned over possible delays should the Duterte camp appeal the ICC's decisions. 

"Yung pag-question o yung excusal nitong dalawang judges ay confidential submission kasabay ng kanilang jurisdictional challenge. Kaya parang ang lumalabas ay naghain siya ng question pero iisa na lang yung judge na didinig sa kanya. Ibig sabihin magkakaroon ng delay doon sa proceedings," Conti said. 

"Sana hindi maging ganito ang mga susunod na takbuhin ng pagdinig. Malayo na ngayong September, aatras pa ba? Sana hindi maging ganito yung takbuhin. Kasi sa totoo lang, this is 8 years, 9 years delayed ang paglilitis tungkol sa war on drugs ni Duterte," she said. 

When asked if the Duterte team could still appeal or seek reconsideration of the ICC's decision, the lawyer said it was possible. 

"Ang kanilang Supreme Court kasi ay yung appeals chamber. Kaya posible may ganoon pagkakataon na baliktarin pa or iakyat pa yung issue. Maging yung jurisdictional challenge. Patapos pagpasyahan ito ng Pre-Trial Chamber, maaari pang akyat ito sa appeals chamber. Kaya may ganoon pangamba pa rin kami na magkaroon ng delay," she said.  

"Pero sa nakikita naming tono dito sa prosecution na kaalinsabay ng kahit na may jurisdictional question or jurisdictional challenge, patuloy pa rin nag-susubmit or nag-tatransmit ng kanilang ebidensya sa kabilang kampo. Ibig sabihin talagang ready-ready sila at sinusundan lang ang original schedule nila," Conti said. 

For the part of the victims, she said they were also following the original schedule.

Conti said they expect the formal application for victims' participation in the proceedings to start in late May or early June.  

"Ang formal application ng mga biktima ay kailangang i-approach cautiously. Ang mga biktima na lalapit o mag-aapply ay dapat maayos ang pagkakasalaysay.... At sa pagkausap namin sa mga biktima, mukhang hindi naman magkakagulo dito sa application dahil handa sila," she said.

"Inaasahan namin magkaroon na ng lakas ng loob yung mga biktima humarap, magpakilala at mag-participate sa kaso. Malay natin dito lumabas yung trenta mil na sinasabing biktima ng war on drugs. Hindi ito usapin ng bilang, usapin po ito ng lakas ng argumento," Conti said. 

The lawyer said they were waiting to see what evidence the Duterte camp would submit as defense to the drug war deaths. 

"Yung pinaka-malakas niyang argumento eh naihain na niya. Pero doon sa mismong kaso, pumatay ka ba o hindi, umaamin siya eh. Sa ibang interview niya at sa ibang on the record na statements niya sinasabi niya ako may kasalanan. Kaya kaabang-abang kung ano ba ang magiging depensa niya sa mismong patayan," Conti said.  

The lawyer also appealed to the public and supporters of the former President to stop attacking victims and legal counsel. 

"Tigilan na po ang pang-babash, pang-aatake sa mga biktima at sa mga abogado dahil wala pong magagawa yan sa pag-dismiss sa kaso," she said. 

"Kung ang atakihin niyo ang mga abogado ang mga biktima, ang tingin nila pipigilang mag-testify, hindi po makatutulong yan para mapalaya si Duterte," Conti said.

Duterte was arrested on March 11 and whisked away the same day to the Netherlands-based tribunal to face charges tied to his drug war, in which thousands of mostly poor men were killed.

The former Philippine leader has said "everything I did, I did for my country," his daughter Vice President Sara Duterte told reporters in April. 

The next hearing is scheduled for September 23, where the charges against the Duterte patriarch will be laid out. 

— With a report from Agence France-Presse 

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