(Manila, 20th) – A panel of medical experts has unanimously determined that former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is "fit to participate" in the International Criminal Court (ICC) pre-trial proceedings, including the confirmation hearing.
According to court documents released on December 18, an independent panel of medical experts appointed by the First Pre-Trial Chamber conducted interviews, examinations, and assessments of Duterte between October 8 and November 18, in response to his team’s claim that the former president was unfit to stand trial due to cognitive impairment.
The documents indicate that all three experts, working independently, came to the unanimous conclusion that although Duterte is elderly and frail, he nonetheless retains sufficient capacity to exercise his procedural rights and the right to a fair trial. He is able to understand the charges, evidence, and purpose of the pre-trial proceedings, and can instruct his defense counsel in preparing a defense.
The court documents clearly state: "These findings are clear and consistent and should serve as the authoritative basis for finding Duterte fit to stand trial."
However, Duterte’s team has requested the Pre-Trial Chamber for further clarification before making a decision, pointing out there were "inconsistencies" in the way the expert panel reached its conclusions.
His attorney, Nicholas Kaufman, stated: “Although the experts say Duterte can basically participate in criminal proceedings, they did not specify whether he understands the more complex confirmation hearing procedures, which require the defense team to be familiar with thousands of pieces of evidence from an investigation spanning over four years.”
Therefore, Duterte’s team is seeking an evidentiary hearing to clarify the experts’ conclusions, reasoning, interview methods, and how instructions were communicated.