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ICC: Victims’ Counsel Urge ICC to Reject Duterte Move To Delay ICC Jurisdiction Ruling

Zen Hernandez

ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA — The International Criminal Court’s Office of Public Counsel for Victims (OPCV), acting in defense of victims’ interests, urged the Pre-trial Chamber to dismiss the defense request to postpone the decision on its jurisdiction challenge against the ICC.</p><p>According to the OPCV, the request &quot;lacks any proper procedural foundation&quot; and is premature.</p><p>“[I]t is, in any event, irreconcilable with the interests of victims,” the OPCV said in an 8-page submission.</p><p>The OPCV also argued that the reasons provided by the defense have no bearing on the question of the ICC’s jurisdiction over Duterte’s case of crimes against humanity.</p><p>It emphasized that delaying the jurisdiction ruling threatens victims’ rights to legal certainty and timely participation under the Rome Statute.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/7/28/lawyer-says-duterte-can-possibly-return-to-ph-in-interim-release-2259">Lawyer says Duterte can &#x27;possibly&#x27; return to PH in interim release</a></div><p>“As such, the Jurisdictional Challenge profoundly touches upon the interests of victims and should be adjudicated promptly in the absence of a formal withdrawal of said Challenge by the Defence,” the OPCV said.</p><p>It said there is no legal basis to hold off on considering the jurisdictional challenge.</p><p>The victims’ counsel also echoed the Prosecution’s position that swift adjudication is necessary to promote efficiency and avoid unnecessary litigation costs.</p><p>It said the challenge is already &quot;fully briefed and duly before the Chamber.&quot;</p><p>The prosecution, in its response on July 23, also requested the Chamber to reject the defense request.</p><p>The OPCV also emphasized that the defense’s jurisdictional challenge was “primarily based on the legal consequence of the State’s withdrawal from the Statute,” to which both prosecution and OPCV already submitted their respective observations.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>DEFENSE SEEKS POSTPONEMENT</strong></div><p>The defense team of former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte requested the ICC to postpone adjudication on its jurisdictional challenge last July 22, citing a “crucial issue” that was redacted from the public version of the submission.</p><p>Duterte&#x27;s lawyers said they a seeking a postponement for the same reason they want a similar postponement on the bid for interim release. The ICC granted the postponement on that decision.</p><p>Duterte’s lead defense counsel, Nicholas Kaufman, is seeking to overturn ICC jurisdiction based on the Philippines’ withdrawal from the Rome Statute in March 2019 — though alleged crimes occurred between November 1, 2011 and March 16, 2019, when the country was still a party.</p><p>The postponement request comes two months before the September 23 confirmation of charges hearing.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><div><br/></div><div><strong><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/x50gOdgHhRE?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><br/></div><div> </div>

<p>The International Criminal Court’s Office of Public Counsel for Victims (OPCV), acting in defense of victims’ interests, urged the Pre-trial Chamber to dismiss the defense request to postpone the decision on its jurisdiction challenge against the ICC.</p>

The International Criminal Court’s Office of Public Counsel for Victims (OPCV), acting in defense of victims’ interests, urged the Pre-trial Chamber to dismiss the defense request to postpone the decision on its jurisdiction challenge against the ICC.

ICC victims' counsel: No basis to delay Duterte case jurisdiction ruling

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ICC victims' counsel: No basis to delay Duterte case jurisdiction ruling

Zen Hernandez,

ABS-CBN News

Published Jul 30, 2025 12:43 PM PHT

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Duterte

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