00:01The lead counsel for Rodrigo Duterte at the ICC pre-trial says high-value target is not a code for
00:08instructions to kill.
00:09In his closing statement, prosecutor Julian Nichols tells the ICC Rodrigo Duterte must answer for the dead, adding the evidence
00:17demands it.
00:18Families of drug war victims say Rodrigo Duterte's defense team belittles their loss.
00:23Rafael Lotilia exits as DENR chief and will serve as the Philippines as ambassador to the Vatican.
00:30And the Chinese embassy criticizes a PCIJ video report about Chinese propaganda and influence operations in the Philippines.
00:45The lead counsel for Rodrigo Duterte's defense, Niklas Kaufman, in his arguments on day four of the ICC pre-trial
00:52hearings casts doubt on the prosecution's case against his client.
00:56He invokes the principle of indubio pro reo, which means when in doubt, the court must rule for the accused.
01:03Commenting on count two or the alleged murders of high-value targets when Duterte was president, Kaufman says the term
01:09high-value target was merely an operational classification.
01:12HVT is not a code for an instruction to kill or a witch hunt. It was a prioritization tool within
01:22anti-drug operations applied across regions and units on the basis of intelligence assessments, alleged position within drug networks, or
01:33inclusion on watch lists.
01:35For count three, where it is alleged that he targeted low-level drug users and pushers nationwide, Kaufman argues that
01:41routine buy-bust operations are allegedly being falsely recast as sham executions.
01:46He says the legitimacy of these operations were supported by judicial warrants and forensic evidence like gunpowder residue.
01:53He further claims that the prosecution's evidence are uncorroborated insider witness accounts.
02:01Senior trial lawyer Julian Nichols delivers the closing statement for the prosecution on the final day of the pre-trial
02:07hearing of Rodrigo Duterte at the ICC.
02:09Nichols challenges the defense team's attempts to distance Duterte from the thousands of deaths in the campaign and argues there
02:16are substantial grounds to confirm the charges against the accused.
02:19He asserts, based on witness testimony, the term neutralized means to kill.
02:25Nichols notes the timing of its use aligns with the murder of Leyte Mayor Rolando Espinosa and Raul Yap.
02:30Nichols ends his statement with this.
02:32It's a quote from a speech on August 16, 2017.
02:38What did he say?
02:39Quote,
02:40I know I will have my own damnful.
02:43I cannot be president forever.
02:46I know that they will demand to answer for all this dead.
02:52And he was right when he spoke those words.
02:56He must answer for the dead.
02:58The victims demand it.
03:01Justice demands it.
03:02And for purposes of confirmation, the evidence demands it.
03:06Meantime, lawyer for the victims' families Gilbert Andres asks the court to commit to a full-blown trial so that
03:12victims and their families can reclaim their dignity and access justice.
03:16They want to be reintegrated to their communities because they are still in the shadows of fake news, of fear
03:25and of threats from Mr. Duterte's supporters.
03:31Families of victims of former President Rodrigo Duterte's drug war say his defense belittles their laws.
03:38This as Duterte's defense team refutes allegations of his responsibility in the widespread and systematic killings when he was in
03:44power.
03:45Nakikita po namin na talagang minaliit po ang aming pagkatao.
03:52Kung baga, parang niwalang halaga yung aming mga mahal sa buhay.
03:59Sinasabi na numero lang.
04:01Among Duterte's lead counsel, Nicholas Kaufman's arguments, Duterte's policy did not target the larger civilian population but rather a defined
04:09subgroup.
04:10Shira Escudero, who lost her brother a frame to the drug war, says the defense's arguments do not change the
04:16fact that many people died during the campaign.
04:19Kaufman says in an interview, he did not mean to make light of victims' suffering, but he had a job
04:24to do.
04:26Rafael Lotilia exits President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s cabinet and will move on to serve as the Philippines as ambassador to
04:33the Holy See or the Vatican.
04:35Lotilia was first appointed energy chief before being moved to head the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
04:42Undersecretary Juan Miguel Cuna will replace Lotilia as Environment Secretary.
04:46Cuna has been with the DENR since 2008 and rose through the ranks.
04:50He had served as Undersecretary for Field Operations in Luzon and Visayas and supervised the Mines and Geosciences Bureau and
04:57the Environment Management Bureau in both regions.
05:01The Chinese Embassy in Manila criticizes the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism after the Independent News Group released a video
05:08about alleged Chinese propaganda and influence operations in the Philippines.
05:13The video outlined five red flags to identify possible pro-China propaganda on social media.
05:18An Embassy spokesperson did not address the points raised in the report, but highlighted that PCIJ had received grants from
05:25the US-funded National Endowment for Democracy, implying that its funding affects its credibility.
05:31PCIJ responded by expressing regret and alarm over the Embassy's allegations, saying it has guarded its independence since its founding
05:38in 1989.
05:39It adds that it receives funding from multiple sources, including United Nations organizations.
05:45The group adds the Embassy's criticism and the rapid spread of its statement online appeared to be part of a
05:51coordinated attack.
05:54And that's today's wrap. I'm JC Gutinga. Thank you for watching. Click the link below for the full story. For
06:00more updates, download the Rappler app.
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