Justice is starting to roll down following former President Rodrigo Duterte’s first appearance before the International Criminal Court, Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro on Saturday said.
“Witnessing the first appearance attended by FP Duterte before the ICC, everybody could see how justice starts to roll down,” Castro said in a statement.
“This is what we call a fair trial,” she added.
According to her, the ICC denied any postponement of the hearing as it was not yet the time for Duterte to present his defense.
“The judge even emphasized that the Court’s doctor gave the opinion that FP Duterte is fully mentally aware and fit and that he had undergone further checks and tests at the detention facility,” Castro said.
Duterte, for his part, assured his supporters “there will be a day of reckoning for all” in a message relayed through Vice President Sara Duterte during her visit at the ICC detention facility in Scheveningen.
“I told him a lot of people are crying. They are depressed, hurt, stressed about what happened and what is happening right now, and what is happening in the country,” Sara told reporters in a mix of English and Filipino on Friday.
“Then he (Rodrigo) said, ‘Tell them to relax. Everything has an end. There will be a day of reckoning for all,’” she added.
The former president is facing charges of crimes against humanity over his administration’s controversial war on drugs.
He made his first appearance at the ICC via video conference Friday.
The Vice President also took the opportunity to thank her father’s supporters.
“We can feel your love, we can feel your anger. We can empathize with everyone’s rage about what happened,” she said.