Duterte fit for ICC hearings, panel of doctors rules

National

THE path is clear for ex-President Rodrigo Duterte’s hearings at the International Criminal Court.

Medical experts have declared him fit to join pre-trial hearings despite concerns over his health.

An independent panel of medical experts appointed by the ICC assessed the former Philippine president and concluded that he is capable of participating in pre-trial proceedings, including the postponed confirmation of charges hearings.

Court filings indicate that, while interpretations of the findings varied, both the ICC prosecution and Duterte’s lawyers agreed that he is “competent for the purpose of the pre-trial proceedings.”

In a nine-page observation released Thursday, ICC Deputy Prosecutor Mame Mandiaye Niang urged Pre-Trial Chamber I to recognize Duterte as “capable of meaningfully exercising his procedural and fair trial rights, and that he is fit to participate in the pre-trial proceedings, including the confirmation hearing.”

Niang explained that upon completing their assessments, the panel members individually concluded that, although frail and elderly, Duterte possesses the necessary capacities to exercise his procedural and fair trial rights.

He also recommended resuming the proceedings on the confirmation of charges.

Duterte’s lawyer, Nicholas Kaufman, however, challenged the panel’s conclusions. While acknowledging that the former president can draw on his long-term memory, Kaufman noted that his short-term memory is affected, limiting his ability to retain information for more than a brief period.

He argued that the experts’ methods were inconsistent, which undermines the overall strength of their joint conclusion on Duterte’s fitness.

Kaufman requested that the Pre-Trial Chamber seek further clarification and hold an evidentiary hearing to allow parties to address the experts’ findings before proceeding further.(MyTVCebu)