ICC Kinuwestiyon ang 6 na Pinoy Lawyers ni Duterte — Prosecution May Concerns sa Witness Safety
Things just got more complicated for former President Rodrigo Duterte at The Hague. Prosecutors from the International Criminal Court (ICC) have asked judges to order Duterte's defense team to clarify the status of six Filipino lawyers who have been publicly linked to his case — and the reason is far from trivial: they're worried about witness protection.
In a filing made public on Wednesday, the ICC Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) flagged concerns about Salvador Medialdea, Salvador Panelo, Martin Delgra, Silvestre Bello, Alfredo Lim, and Cesar Dulay. During last month's confirmation of charges hearing, Duterte's lead defense counsel introduced them as "supporters" seated in the gallery. But media interviews afterward painted a different picture — one lawyer reportedly said two of them had been "working with [us] all along," while Panelo hinted at meetings with a "Filipino legal team" to discuss strategies.
The prosecution argued that this ambiguity creates a serious problem. Under Article 68 of the Rome Statute, prosecutors are legally obligated to protect victims and witnesses — and that means knowing exactly who's on the defense team, since those individuals get access to highly sensitive, confidential information. The fact that the six lawyers held high-level positions in Duterte's administration during the period of the alleged crimes makes it even more delicate.
The OTP says they tried to settle this privately, but defense counsel reportedly told them informally that the six are not team members — a claim that contradicts the public statements. When the defense refused to clarify on the record, prosecutors escalated the matter to the chamber.
Meanwhile, on the anniversary of her father's arrest, Vice President Sara Duterte called his transfer to the Netherlands an "extraordinary rendition or kidnapping" and a "serious reminder that the law should not be used as a weapon for politics." Senator Robinhood Padilla also called on the Philippine Supreme Court to act on pending petitions questioning the legality of the former president's detention.
Source: The Manila Times
