The hague: The International Criminal Court (ICC) has dismissed a request from the defense team of former president Rodrigo Duterte, which sought to disqualify two judges from presiding over his case.
According to Philippines News Agency, the decision, dated July 3, was made by a plenary of judges who found no justification to question the impartiality of Judges Reine Ad©lade Sophie Alapini-Gansou and Mara del Socorro Flores Liera. The order, signed by ICC President Judge Tomoko Akane, stated that there was no reasonable apprehension of bias against the judges, emphasizing that they acted in accordance with their judicial duties under the Rome Statute.
The defense argued that the judges had pre-judged the case due to their involvement in earlier proceedings that assessed the ICC's jurisdiction after Duterte's order for the Philippines to withdraw from the Rome Statute in March 2019. However, the ICC maintained its jurisdiction over alleged crimes committed during the war on drugs, as the preliminary examination began before the withdrawal.
Duterte remains in ICC custody, facing charges of crimes against humanity related to the deaths of thousands during his administration's anti-drug campaign.
