The relatives of drug war victims are set to gather on Friday as the International Criminal Court (ICC) Appeals Chamber issues its decision on the interim release of former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte.
In an interview with Manila Standard, ICC-assistant to counsel Atty. Kristina Conti said a live group watch will be staged at the University of the Philippines (UP) Law Center at 5 PM.
She shared that the reading of the decision is expected to last a maximum of 2 hours from 5:30 to 7:30 PM (Manila Time).
However, Conti noted that Duterte will not appear during the hearing following the submission of a waiver dated November 25.
“He has signed a waiver of appearance and is leaving it to his lawyers to appear tomorrow. His counsel on record is Nicholas Kaufman, who will be the first to appear in the court for Duterte… The Office of the Public Counsel for Victims will represent the interests of the victims, while the actual victims who will participate in the case have not yet been finalized,” she said in Filipino.
Conti believes that the decision will not hinder the progress of the main case, noting that the hearings can continue “if the go signal is received after Duterte’s other requests are decided”, regardless of whether the former president is inside or outside the detention facility.
Judge Luz Del Carmen Ibañez is expected to preside over the hearing, while Mame Mandiaye Niang will be the lead prosecutor.
