00:00This is Rodrigo Rua Duterte.
00:10The former President Rodrigo Duterte's lead defense counsel
00:14is determined to give the International Criminal Court
00:17if they buy an interim release.
00:20The former president is not a flight risk.
00:23Witness, Marie Zumali.
00:26March 2019, the Philippines violated the Rome Statute.
00:30That's why the former President Rodrigo Duterte's lead defense counsel
00:33said that Attorney Nicholas Kaufman
00:35has no jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court
00:38in the case of Crimes Against Humanity against the former president.
00:41The withdrawal was effective before the investigation started.
00:45There is a compelling argument that the court cannot exercise its jurisdiction
00:49over the Philippine situation.
00:51That is a live issue.
00:52It's an issue that has been through the Philippine courts.
00:54It's an issue that has been through the ICC as well.
00:57It is a compelling argument.
00:59It's an argument that...
01:00This is one of the arguments of the defense team
01:03to give their request for an interim release for the former president.
01:07We are still trying to get the full prosecution of this.
01:10But the ICC has said before
01:12that the crimes that were committed
01:14were still within their jurisdiction
01:16before the Philippines withdrew from the Rome Statute.
01:19So the court's jurisprudence has already indicated
01:24that the ICC retains jurisdiction
01:26even after the withdrawal of a state
01:29but only for the crimes that allegedly were committed
01:32during the period when the state was a state party
01:35to the ICC Rome Statute.
01:37The international law expert and lawyer of the victims
01:40of the Omanoy extrajudicial killings,
01:42Attorney Joel Butuyan, also said that
01:45Our Supreme Court also issued a decision
01:48that even though we are no longer members,
01:51we still have an obligation for crimes committed
01:54while we were still a member of the ICC.
01:57As of now, the lead counsel of Duterte
01:59has not yet said when he will issue the petition
02:01for the interim release.
02:03But they are already working on it.
02:04Koffman believes that the ICC will give it to him.
02:08He said that he will not become a target
02:10even if he is released first.
02:12The first of which is the risk of flight.
02:14The second of which is the risk of interference
02:16of witnesses with the evidence.
02:18And the third of which is the risk of continuing crimes.
02:21None of those factors exist in the present situation.
02:23Following the questioning of Vice President Sara Duterte
02:26in the immediate evidence of the prosecution,
02:28in the ICC pretrial chamber,
02:30Koffman gave the respect to the role of the victims
02:33in the process.
02:34The victims have a role in the process.
02:37We have to respect that role.
02:39And we hope that everyone will respect that role.
02:41Whether or not we agree with what the evidence
02:44coming out of the victims is,
02:45it's a totally different matter.
02:46But we will argue that in court, not here.
02:49Koffman also reminded the former President
02:51to his supporters not to know about the case.
02:55There should be no interference in the judicial process.
02:58The political politics is,
03:00there should be full respect for all participants
03:03in that process, the prosecution, the defense,
03:05and the victims.
03:07The prosecution, the defense, and the victims,
03:09the council who will make their submissions in due course.
03:12In Qatar, the Qatari authorities allowed the Labor Attaché of the Philippines
03:16to talk to the 17 Filipinos imprisoned
03:19due to the gathering for the former President Duterte
03:22that was considered a political protest.
03:24Physically, they are okay.
03:28But of course, there is the legal matter to resolve.
03:32Again, there are allegations of violations of Qatari law.
03:36We will have to await the findings of the Qatari side
03:41on this matter.
03:42We're providing all the possible legal assistance
03:46that could be provided.
03:47Under Qatari law,
03:49gathering is regulated,
03:51especially if it is related to politics.
03:54From The Hague, Netherlands,
03:56for GMA Integrated News,
03:57I am Maryse Umali, your witness.
04:00My fellow countrymen, be the first to witness.
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04:05for up-to-date news.
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