Ipinapabasura ng Office of the Prosecutor ng  ng International Criminal Court (ICC) at Office of the Public Counsel for Victims (OPCV) sa Appeals Chamber ang apela ni dating Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte kaugnay sa hurisdiksyon ng nasabing korte sa kaso niyang crimes against humanity.

Ayon sa 22-page submission na pirmado ni ICC Deputy Prosecutor Mame Mandiaye Niang, dapat umanong ipawalang-bisa ang apela ni Duterte dahil sa kabiguan nitong magpakita ng “any error in the Decision warranting reversal.”

“Each of the four grounds of appeal is incorrect. Consequently, the jurisdiction of the Court in this situation should be upheld, and proceedings in this case should continue,” saad sa dokumento.

Dagdag pa rito, “It [The Chamber] likewise correctly determined that a ‘matter under consideration’ can encompass a preliminary examination, as in this situation, and that the ‘Court’ includes the Office of the Prosecutor.”

Sen. Bato, masayang nakita ang apo

Tila ganito rin ang tono mula sa ipinasang submission ng OPCV na kinakatawan ni Principal Counsel Paolina Massidda.

Aniya, “opposes each ground of the Appeal, as well as the relief sought by the Defence in its entirety.”

“In the first ground of appeal, the Defence misrepresents the Impugned Decision and fails to demonstrate that the Chamber did not adhere to the lex specialis principle. In the second and third grounds of appeal, the Defence’s arguments reflect mere disagreement with the Chamber’s findings. Therefore, all grounds of appeal raised by the Defence fail and must be rejected,” dugtong pa ng OPCV.

Matatandaang matagal nang iginigiit ng kampo ni Duterte na wala na raw hurisdiksyon ang ICC sa kaso niya dahil tumiwalag na ang Pilipinas sa Rome Statute noong 2019. 

Ngunit ayon sa ICC, sapat na umano ang paunang imbestigasyong ginawa nila noong 2018 para isailalim sa konsiderasyon ang krimeng kinasangkutan ng dating pangulo bago pa man nito ipag-utos ang pagkalas sa ICC.