A PRESIDING judge of the International Criminal Court (ICC) Trial Chamber III raised concerns over the massive volume of public speeches that prosecutors intend to leverage as evidence against former President Rodrigo Duterte, calling the figure seemingly excessive.
During the historic first status conference for Duterte’s crimes against humanity case, Presiding Judge Joanna Korner openly questioned the strategy of the Office of the Prosecutor (OTP), which has lined up nearly 200 of the former leader’s public addresses.
“197 speeches seem to be, on the face of it, too much, particularly if they would say the same thing. I think you need to consider very carefully whether you need it at all,” Judge Korner told the prosecution team.
Korner emphasized that the three-judge panel aims to streamline the proceedings, stressing the importance of avoiding dense presentations of cumulative or redundant evidence that lacks direct relevance to the specific core charges facing the former president.
Duterte, known for his lengthy and often controversial televised public addresses during his administration’s deadly anti-drug campaign, frequently spoke about his security directives in front of police, military, and local government units.
The prosecution has long viewed these speeches as critical documentation of state policy.
Responding to the court’s gentle reprimand, ICC Senior Trial Lawyer Julian Nicholls reassured the Chamber that the prosecution has no intention of dragging out the trial phase by presenting every single piece of audio-visual material on record.
Nicholls clarified that the prosecution team will be selective and will not showcase all 197 speeches when the actual trial officially begins.
