The legal team of former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has officially received a document that lists 181 pieces of evidence against him. These pieces of evidence are related to accusations that he committed murder as a crime against humanity.
According to an exclusive report by journalist Mariz Umali on “24 Oras”, Duterte’s main lawyer, Nicholas Kaufman, confirmed that they now have the first set of documents from the International Criminal Court (ICC).
“Duterte’s defense team has received the first batch of materials. However, these documents are private, so I cannot share their details,” Kaufman said in a statement sent to GMA Integrated News.
What’s in the Document?
The document, called “Prosecution’s First Communication of the Disclosure of Evidence,” was made available on the ICC’s website on March 24. It contains 181 pieces of evidence that were also used by the ICC Prosecutor when they asked for an arrest warrant against Duterte.
Lawyer Gilbert Andres, who is helping victims of alleged extrajudicial killings, explained what this means:
“This evidence was also included when the prosecutor requested an arrest warrant. However, we still don’t know the specific details.”
Secret Witnesses?
A small note in the document mentions that the prosecution must submit some evidence related to seven witnesses—but their names are not revealed.
For now, Duterte’s team is reviewing the documents while the ICC continues its investigation. The case is being closely watched by people in the Philippines and around the world.
