MANILA, Philippines – Former President Rodrigo Duterte’s defense team is asking the International Criminal Court (ICC) Appeals Chamber to allow them to challenge the decision confirming crimes against humanity charges against him.
In their filing, the lawyers requested leave to appeal the April 23 ruling of ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I, which found sufficient grounds to proceed with the case involving three counts of crimes against humanity.
The defense said the ruling contained legal and procedural flaws that must be reviewed.
They argued that the pre-trial chamber took an excessively “flexible” approach in defining the charges, which they said undermined Duterte’s right to be properly informed of the accusations against him in detail.
The team also criticized the chamber for allegedly failing to provide a clear evidentiary explanation for its decision, saying it did not sufficiently link its conclusions to supporting evidence or address key defense arguments, including claims that there was no common plan behind the alleged acts.
According to Duterte’s lawyers, these issues compromise the fairness of the proceedings and risk allowing the case to continue on an uncertain legal basis.
They further urged the Appeals Chamber to intervene early, stressing that prompt action would help ensure that the case is built on a clear factual and evidentiary framework.
The ICC earlier ruled that Duterte could be held liable for alleged killings in Davao City during his term as mayor and for operations during his presidency between 2016 and 2018, including actions against alleged high-value targets and barangay clearance drives.
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