MANILA — Rights groups on Friday were dismayed over the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) decision allowing former President Rodrigo Duterte to waive his appearance during his confirmation of charges hearing next week.
In a decision released Friday, the Pre-Trial Chamber I of the ICC said conducting the pre-trial hearings would proceed even without Duterte's presence.
But Waks Buenaflor, chairperson of UP Diliman University’s student council, says this development favors Duterte.
“Si Duterte kailangan talaga panagutin. Sa aming mga kabataan, klaro ang tindig namin…Hindi namin tanggap na kaya magtago ni Duterte under the saya, under the skirt,” said Buenaflor.
“Walang ganung opportunity ang mga biktima ni Duterte, walang ganung opportunity yung mga pinatay niya. Ni wala nga silang opportunity na mag-undergo ng due process,” he added.
Aside from this, he said the ICC’s decision seemed like a “special treatment” for the former President.
“Dapat kung gaano ka hirap ang proseso ng pinagdaanan ng mga mamamayan sa Pilipinas, mas worse pa dapat ang pagdaanan ni Duterte,” he said.
Rights group Karapatan also criticized the ICC’s decision.
“Hindi niya kayang titigan sa mata sa mata ang mga pamilya ng biktima ng mga pinaslang niya,” said Karapatan Deputy Secretary General Atty. Maria Sol Taule in her speech during a protest action held in Katipunan Avenue, Quezon City.
“Huwag silang magtago nang parang mga daga,” she told ABS-CBN News in a separate interview.
Nearly a hundred individuals, including students, gathered along Katipunan Avenue to express their frustration against the government’s handling of flood control cases.
They also urged Duterte’s co-perpetrators to surrender and for authorities to jail them, as the former Philippine leader’s confirmation of charges hearing looms.
The "confirmation of charges" hearing, taking place over four days, will determine whether there is enough evidence against Duterte to proceed to a trial.
And when charges against Duterte have been confirmed, the ICC noted that it does not allow trials to take place in the absence of the accused.
ICC says Duterte's pre-trial hearing can proceed even without his presence
The ICC previously declared Duterte fit to take part in the pre-trial proceedings despite his camp's assertions of his alleged cognitive decline.
Groups will mount bigger protest actions and other activities this weekend and next week in time for the pre-trial proceedings.