Duterte remarks before House can be used for case build-up — lawyer

The remarks made by former President Rodrigo Duterte before the House Quad Committee (QuadComm) may be used in the case build-up against him in the Philippines and the International Criminal Court (ICC), a lawyer said Thursday.

Interviewed on Super Radyo dzBB, ICC assistant to counsel Atty. Kristina Conti said the challenge would be how to connect his remarks to the alleged crime.

“Ang problema, naging ano siya diyan, naging mailap siya diyan. Umaamin ka ba sa pagpatay, ganito? Ay hindi… lalakas ‘yan kung meron kang in between. Kumbaga connect the dots,” Conti said.

(The problem is that he became elusive regarding that. Are you confessing to the killing?  [He said] no. [The case] will become strong if there are middlemen. If you can connect the dots.)

Conti stressed that the former president’s remarks must be connected as part of a system.

“Mahirap na sabihin na si Duterte lang okay na. Kailangan umamin din at kailangan maikabit ‘yung sasabihin nung iba pa, ‘yung parang mga middlemen, bago makarating sa people on the ground ay kailangan ma establish din muna,” she later added.

(It would be difficult to say that Duterte alone is sufficient. The others should also confess, the middlemen, must also be established.)

During Wednesday's probe on the previous administration’s war on drugs, Duterte claimed that he had "killed" at least six people.

According to Conti, however, cases cannot be filed based on his remark as there were no details provided.

“Aamin ako na pumatay ako ng tao, anim na katao, pero sino yun? Kailan? Saan? Anong oras? Kung wala ‘yung detalyeng ‘yun, hindi mo masasampahan ng kaso ‘yan,” Conti said.

(I will confess to killing six people, but who are they? When did it happen? Where did I commit it? What time was it? Without these details, you won’t be able to file a case against him.)

In a separate interview on Unang Balita, former Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) President Atty. Domingo Cayosa said that though Duterte's remark would be insufficient, it was a “good start.”

“Pwedeng mga circumstantial evidence o kaya ma encourage ‘yung ibang mga witnesses na lumantad o kaya ‘yung mga biktima o ‘yung kanyang pamilya na mag file ng complaint sapagkat siya na mismo may inamin na siya,” he said.

(It could be used as circumstantial evidence or it can encourage witnesses to come forward or the victims or the families to file a complaint because he already said so.)

Cayosa also said that the cases Duterte may be referring to have prescribed already, wherein a crime may no longer be prosecuted after a certain period of time.

Meanwhile, Duterte dared the ICC to come to the Philippines as soon as tomorrow to investigate him over the alleged crimes against humanity in his anti-drug campaign.

In response, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. reiterated that his administration will not prevent Duterte should he wish to coordinate with the ICC but maintained that the government will not cooperate with the international tribunal. —RF, GMA Integrated News