Six more testimonies sought in Du30 case
The previous testimonies of six more witnesses who hold crucial information on drug-related killings under police operations, such as “Oplan Tokhang” and “One Time, Big Time,” are being sought for admission as evidence before the International Criminal Court (ICC).
In separate filings, the prosecutors in the crimes against humanity case of former President Rodrigo Duterte identified witnesses “P-0024,” “P-1357,” “P-1359” as well as “P-0008,” “P-1164” and “P-1303” as being in possession of pieces of evidence that are “corroborative and cumulative” to the testimonies and proof coming from other witnesses.
Their evidence is particularly “relevant to the modus operandi and pattern of violence used against alleged criminals by the police” in the third count of murder charge against Duterte, referring to the barangay-level operations of his bloody drug war, the prosecution said.
Prerecorded
It asked the Trial Chamber (TC) III that the prior recorded testimonies of “P-0024,” “P-1357” and “P-1359” be introduced as evidence instead of having them testify in person.
Among the key testimonies the prosecution wishes to submit as evidence under this batch are the “Tokhang-related killings” that P-1359 conducted between 2016 and 2018. Tokhang, a portmanteau of “toktok” (to knock) and “hangyo” (to plead), was part of the bloody antinarcotics campaign of the Duterte administration.
The prosecution, in its Oct. 12 filing made public on Tuesday, noted that P-1359 revealed that he was barred by then Philippine National Police chief and now Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa from cooperating with the investigation of the Commission on Human Rights into extrajudicial killings (EJKs) from 2016 to 2017. Dela Rosa, who has been named by the ICC as a “coperpetrator” in the case of Duterte, has a standing arrest warrant for crimes against humanity.
P-1359 also said that drug-related operations that ended with shootouts spiked when Duterte became President.
Related materials to his account are photographs of slain victims with pieces of cardboard with written messages on or next to their bodies; a media article; a matrix of drug-related EJKs; and screenshots of communications on Facebook, the prosecution said.
On the other hand, P-1357, who was referred to as a “she,” was noted to have proof of the modus operandi of the Davao Death Squad and the alleged backing Duterte had on the killings that targeted suspected criminals.
Her testimony is also said to boost the evidence expected to be given by two viva voce witnesses, or those who would appear in court, identified as P-0001 and P-0026.
In-person
In another document dated Oct. 19, the prosecution asked the TC III to allow it to conduct a supplementary viva voce examination of “P-0008,” “P-1164” and “P-1303” to expedite the proceedings.
According to the prosecution, P-0008 detailed various police operations that ended up with killings, including the “One Time, Big Time” operation, a term given to the anticrime campaigns conducted in various provinces.
P-1303, meanwhile, provided general evidence of an unspecified murder committed by police officers. Many of the details of the testimonies were redacted in the documents.
The latest set of witnesses with key testimonies is in addition to the nine others that the prosecution had also sought to be allowed either for cross-examination or for admission of their previously recorded testimonies.
Daily schedule
The trial of Duterte, who is charged with murder as crimes against humanity for the drug war killings, is set to begin on Nov. 30. He is expected to attend in person after he was declared mentally and physically capable to participate in the proceedings, which will run for multiple months.
The Outreach Unit of the ICC earlier said the initial daily schedule for the trial would consist of four hourly sessions, from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. in The Hague time (4 p.m. to 5 p.m. Philippine time), 11:30 p.m. to 12:30 p.m. (5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. PH time), 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. (7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. PH time), and from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. (9 p.m. to 10 p.m. PH time).
The trial will begin with opening statements from the prosecution and the common legal representatives of victims (CLRVs), with the former allotted six hours and the CLRVs to be given three hours. The defense will have the option to also present their own opening statement.
