THE International Criminal Court Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) said it will need at least four hours to present its case against former president Rodrigo Duterte during the hearing on the confirmation of the charges on September 23.
This as the OTP submitted its proposed time allocation and presentation plan for the scheduled hearing.
“The Prosecution anticipates requiring approximately four hours to present its case orally at the confirmation of charges hearing,” Deputy Prosecutor Mame Mandiaye Niang said in a submission dated August 25.
The OTP said 30 minutes will be allotted for the opening statements, three hours for submissions on the merits, and another 30 minutes for final observations.
“The Prosecution intends to use its time to make submissions, regarding inter alia, the modes of liability, contextual elements, and the charged crimes set out in the document containing the charges and further detailed in the pre-confirmation brief,” it said, adding that private sessions may be requested to protect the identities and security of the victims and their witnesses.
It also said that it will likewise make use of visual aids and power point presentation and videos during its presentation.
Meanwhile, the Office of Public Counsel for Victims (OPCV), through Principal Counsel Paolina Massida, said she will need a total of three hours during the confirmation hearing to present the case.
Massida said this is divided into 30 minutes for the opening statement, two hours to present the merit of the case and on the extent of victimization suffered by the victims, and 30 minutes for the closing statement.
Earlier, Duterte’s chief legal counsel Nicholas Kaufman said he will need at least three to four hours for the oral presentation of his defense.
“In its oral presentation which will last 3 to 4 hours, the Defense will expand, inter alia, on a number of core legal issues which concerns the mode of liability imputed to Mr. Duterte and the contextual requirements of crimes against humanity,” Kaufman said in a submission dated August 22.
Aside from the oral presentation, Kaufman also said he will use 30 minutes for their opening statement and the same period for their closing statement.
The 80-year old Duterte is facing crimes against humanity charges before the ICC stemming from the bloody anti-drug crackdown of his administration that local and foreign human rights groups said killed more than 20, 000.
The government has a much lower number of around 6, 000 killed.
