The Philippine Truth Commission welcomed the ruling of a trial chamber of the International Criminal Court (ICC) that former president Rodrigo Duterte is fit to stand trial for the case of crimes against humanity pending before the court.
In a statement over the weekend, the Commission, a civilian-led independent body that seeks to uncover the truth on Duterte’s Drug War, said that with the decision, the long-awaited trial can now proceed.
“The court’s decision removes the last major obstacle to a trial that the families of those killed during Rodrigo Duterte’s ‘drug war’ have waited years to see,” Carlos Conde, Truth Commission commissioner and spokesman, said.
On October 8, the ICC’s Trial Chamber III bared a September 28 decision that Duterte is fit to stand trial set to begin on November 30.
Conde said the ruling means Duterte will finally face the charges against him in open court, and the evidence and testimonies related to the killings that accompanied his drug war can now be presented.
An independent panel of experts unanimously found that Duterte understands the case against him and can help his lawyers prepare his defense, Conde noted, saying that the ruling means the former President can no longer invoke health reasons to delay or stop the proceedings.
Conde said the proceedings would provide a chance to establish what happened during the anti-drug campaign.
The Truth Commission, chaired by former ICC Judge Raul C. Pangalangan, was organized by church and civic leaders in May to document the human rights violations in Duterte’s drug war, honor the victims and provide a forum for closure among their families, advance accountability and institutional reform, strengthen human rights and the rule of law, and contribute to national healing and lasting peace.
