00:00Senior trial lawyer Julian Nichols delivers the closing statement for the prosecution
00:05on the final day of the pre-trial hearing of Rodrigo Duterte at the ICC.
00:09Nichols challenges the defense team's attempts to distance Duterte from the thousands of deaths
00:14in the campaign and argues there are substantial grounds to confirm the charges against the accused.
00:19He asserts, based on witness testimony, the term neutralize means to kill. Nichols notes the timing
00:25of its use aligns with the murder of Leyte Mayor Rolando Espinosa and Raul Iac. Nichols ends his
00:31statement with this. It's a quote from a speech on August 16, 2017. What did he say? Quote,
00:40I know I will have my own downfall. I cannot be president forever. I know that they will demand
00:48to answer for all this dead. And he was right when he spoke those words. He must answer for
00:57the dead. The victims demand it. Justice demands it. And for purposes of confirmation, the evidence
01:04demands it. Meantime, lawyer for the victims' families Gilbert Andres asks the court to commit
01:10to a full-blown trial so that victims and their families can reclaim their dignity and access justice.
01:15Because they want to be reintegrated to their communities. Because they are still in the shadows of
01:22fake news, of fear, and of threats from Mr. Duterte's supporters.
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