Camille Naredo

Family and relatives join the inurnment rites of victims of extrajudicial killings linked to the drug war of former President Rodrigo Duterte at the Dambana ng Paghilom in La Loma Cemetery in Caloocan City on Wednesday, May 1, 2024. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News/File

Family and relatives join the inurnment rites of victims of extrajudicial killings linked to the drug war of former President Rodrigo Duterte at the Dambana ng Paghilom in La Loma Cemetery in Caloocan City on Wednesday, May 1, 2024. The newly inaugurated memorial site will serve as a resting place for victims of extrajudicial killings, emphasizing the inherent dignity of the victims as individuals

Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

EXTRA JUDICIAL KILLINGS

Dennis Gasgonia

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/174334746782320240501-dambana-paghilom-MT-15.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Family and relatives join the inurnment rites of victims of extrajudicial killings linked to the drug war of former President Rodrigo Duterte at the Dambana ng Paghilom in La Loma Cemetery in Caloocan City on Wednesday, May 1, 2024. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News/File"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Family and relatives join the inurnment rites of victims of extrajudicial killings linked to the drug war of former President Rodrigo Duterte at the Dambana ng Paghilom in La Loma Cemetery in Caloocan City on Wednesday, May 1, 2024. <em>Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News/File</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA --  Kristina Conti of the National Union of Peoples&#x27; Lawyers asserted that former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte’s crimes against humanity case before the International Criminal Court does not only involve the number of victims, but also the reported manner of how the killings were carried out.</p><p>Conti, who is also an assistant to counsel of the ICC, made the statement in response to the challenge of the former leader&#x27;s daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte, who asked for the names of the 30,000 alleged casualties of the her father&#x27;s war on drugs.</p><p>“Ang crimes against humanity ay may qualifier. It has to be widespread or systematic,” explained Conti in an interview on Teleradyo Serbisyo on Sunday. </p><p>“Ang teorya namin sa kasong ito ay widespread na nga, systematic pa. Makikita mo ‘yan sa statements &#x27;yan ni President Duterte at makikita rin how the killings happened on the ground. Naaalala n&#x27;yo &#x27;yung may mga araw na nangyaring one time, big time? Sa isang araw sa iba&#x27;t ibang bahagi ng Pilipinas?” </p><p>Conti said the Vice President, who is also a lawyer, may have been looking at the legal pretext in a Philippine setting. </p><div><a class="fr-green" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/3/26/prosecutors-send-first-set-of-evidence-to-duterte-defense-team-0921"><strong>Prosecutors send first set of evidence to Duterte defense</strong></a> </div><p>“Ang hirap intindihin siguro kung hindi ang perspective ay international law,” she said. “Kasi &#x27;pag sa Pilipinas, &#x27;pag murder ay talagang hihingan ka ng pangalan, hihingan ka ng sinong gumawa niyan eksakto.” </p><p>“Pero hindi po murder ang kaso natin... Dito ang pinakadulo ng kaso ay ipinag-utos na mamatay ang marami. ‘Yung marami ay ibang level ng proof, pero ‘yung nag-utos yun ang pinakaimportante. Meron bang plano? Iyon ang kayang pruwebahan talaga ng prosecution.” </p><p>Conti also said they are also trying to prove the role of the former president in the reported killings. </p><p>“Sabi nga sa warrant of arrest that he&#x27;s president, he was mayor, but also he was also head and founder of the Davao Death Squad which formulated o nag-isip ng ganitong patakaran,” she said. </p><p>“Dito sa tokhang, sasabihin ikaw ay drug addict, may buy-bust or hahabulin ka sa ibang paraan. Tapos sasabihin nanlaban. ‘Yung patutunayan ay ‘yung modus operandi, hindi kailangang lahat ng kada isang namatay.” </p><p>Conti admitted that the number of deaths and the established identities are also important. But she sensed that the younger Duterte may have been pointing on the pieces of evidence they will present before the ICC. </p><p>“Inaaral ko yung sinabi ni VP Sara…  Baka akala niya yung 181 pieces of information ay pangalan ba yan? Hindi. (Ito ay kung) ilan ang witness? Ilan ang papel? Ano ang language ng mga dokumento? Ganung klase ng impormasyon ng palitan. Hindi po ito pangalan ng witness o biktima,” she said. </p><div><a class="fr-green" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/3/29/duterte-supporters-continue-to-push-for-former-leader-s-release-2106"><strong>Duterte supporters continue to push for former leader&#x27;s release</strong></a> </div><p>Conti also acknowledged that she was tempted to give out a list of names, in response to the vice president&#x27;s challenge.</p><p>&quot;Kung minsan nakakatest pumatol... patola ka din. Maraming pangalang p&#x27;wedeng ibigay, pero siyempre sensitivity din naman para sa namatayan. Siguro akala nila wala akong pangalang hawak,&quot; she said.</p><p>She also recalled the time when somebody voluntarily provided a list of victims they could cross check.</p><p>&quot;Gusto kong i-shout out. Mayroon pumunta sa office namin, nagdala siya isang bilot ng papel handwritten niyang isinulat ang mga pangalan ng mga namatay, mula 2016 hanggang 2021,&quot; recounted Conti. &quot;Hand-written, kasi nakikinig siya sa radio all the time at siyempre nabanggit ang mga pangalan, hand written with age ang location.&quot; </p><p>&quot;Kung &#x27;di pa rin kayo naniniwala, ililink o sa inyo lahat ng picture ng namatay lahat ng mga pangalan na inannounce ng pulis.&quot;</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:958px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/174334762314220250314sara-duterte-icc-ZH1.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Vice President Sara Duterte arrives at the ICC in The Hague, Netherlands on March 14, 2025. Zen Hernandez, ABS-CBN News"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Vice President Sara Duterte arrives at the ICC in The Hague, Netherlands on March 14, 2025. <em>Zen Hernandez, ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span></div><p>In an interview with reporters at the Hague where the elder Duterte is currently detained, the Vice President took notice of the 181 pieces of evidence presented by the prosecution against teh former president.</p><p>&quot;Okay naman ako mag-comment ko ito dahil hindi naman ako kaparte ng ICC case,&quot; said the younger Duterte. &quot;181 pieces of evidence. Eh ang sinasabi nila libo-libo. This is a case of crimes against humanity.&quot;</p><div><a class="fr-green" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/3/23/ex-president-duterte-confident-he-has-no-case-to-answer-at-icc-says-vp-sara-2347"><strong>Ex-president Duterte confident he has &#x27;no case&#x27; to answer at ICC, says VP Sara </strong></a> </div><p>&quot;Nandito na tayo sa ICC and there&#x27;s that 181 pieces of evidence. So nasaan na ang 30,000 pieces of evidence?&quot; she added, referring to the 30,000 reported deaths related to the extra judicial killings.</p><p>The Vice President said Duterte may have been persecuted due to the way the media has portrayed his war on drugs.</p><p>&quot;Parang ang pakiramdam ko naging kaso s&#x27;ya dahil sa portrayal ng media sa war on drugs,&quot; she said.</p><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/F4lSy3ndna8?autoplay=1&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>Kristina Conti asserted that Rodrigo Duterte’s crimes against humanity case before the International Criminal Court does not only involve the number of victims, but also the reported manner of how the killings were carried out.</p>

Kristina Conti asserted that Rodrigo Duterte’s crimes against humanity case before the International Criminal Court does not only involve the number of victims, but also the reported manner of how the killings were carried out.

Duterte's case not just about number of victims, but also systematic manner of killing: lawyer

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Duterte's case not just about number of victims, but also systematic manner of killing: lawyer

Dennis Gasgonia,

ABS-CBN News

Published Mar 30, 2025 11:45 PM PHT

|

Updated Mar 31, 2025 02:03 AM PHT

Read More:

ICC

War on Drugs

Kristina Conti

ABSNews

International Criminal Court

Rodrigo Duterte

Sara Duterte

Duterte at ICC

crimes against humanity

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