7 more killings added in case vs Du30; total now 56
Judges at the International Criminal Court (ICC) have allowed the prosecutors in the case against former President Rodrigo Duterte to include more incidents in the list of killings being linked to his so-called war on drugs.
The ICC’s Trial Chamber (TC) III, in a decision on Oct. 9, partially granted the request of the prosecution and added seven incidents to the charges, out of the eight sought for inclusion in August.
The prosecution said the additional incidents fell within the scope of the charges against Duterte which were confirmed at the pretrial stage.
The chamber’s latest ruling raised the total number of killings tied to the charges from 49 to 56.
With his trial set to start Nov. 30, Duterte is accused of committing murder on three counts as a crime against humanity.
Of the eight incidents that the prosecution wanted to add, six were added to Count No. 3, which pertains to the killings committed in “barangay clearance operations” in Metro Manila during the Duterte presidency.
The other two new incidents were classified under Count No. 2, which covers cases of “high-value targets” killed between July 2016 and July 2017, roughly the first 12 months of his term.
Fit to face trial
The latest ruling was made public following the chamber’s declaration that Duterte, 81, remained physically and mentally fit to participate in the trial, based on the findings of medical experts and contrary to the defense lawyers’ arguments citing his supposed deterioration.
His next expected appearance in court prior to the trial proper is for the status conference on Oct. 13.
