THE HAGUE — Former President Rodrigo Duterte began presenting his defense before the International Criminal Court (ICC) Pre-Trial Chamber 1, which will decide whether charges of crimes against humanity should proceed to trial.

Duterte’s legal team, led by Nicholas Kaufman, was allocated three hours for their arguments, with breaks scheduled after each hour.

“The defense does not disrespect the soul of any deceased person nor does it make light of the loss of life. Any criticism made by us not be leveled at the loved ones,” Kaufman said, emphasizing that criticisms would be confined to the prosecution’s allegations.

Kaufman expressed confidence that the Pre-Trial Chamber would dismiss the charges and “return Tatay Digong to the Filipino people,” arguing that the evidence presented against Duterte is “wholly insufficient.”

ICC Assistant to Counsel Kristina Conti warned that the defense’s submissions would run the entire day, repeating points from their opening statements. “Please expect attacks against victims, calling them fake and denigrating their pain,” she said during the Duterte Panagutin Network’s EDSA@40 commemoration protest in The Hague. She added that, “When everything is staged, what is true? Clearly, we need to set the line. Truth always must depend on facts.”

The ICC Office of the Prosecutor has charged Duterte with three counts of crimes against humanity for alleged murder and attempted murder.

• Count 1 covers 19 victims, including three children, allegedly killed by members of the Davao Death Squad (DDS) in and around Davao City between 2013 and 2016 during Duterte’s term as mayor.
• Count 2 involves 14 victims, labeled as “high-value targets,” allegedly killed by members of the so-called “National Network” across the Philippines during Duterte’s presidency between 2016 and 2017.
• Count 3 encompasses 45 victims, including both murders and attempted murders, allegedly carried out by the National Network nationwide during Duterte’s presidency between 2016 and 2018.

The final hearing is scheduled for February 27, when the defense, prosecution, and representatives of the victims will present closing statements. The ICC will also review Duterte’s detention status.