MANILA — Victims of former president Rodrigo Duterte’s bloody war on drugs will not hear their lawyers deliver opening statements in Tagalog when his trial begins on November 30.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) rejected the request, citing language restrictions, logistical complications and additional costs.
Presiding Judge Joanna Korner turned down the appeal during Monday’s final pretrial status conference, stressing that English and French are the ICC’s working languages under the Rome Statute and that exceptions require compelling justification.
Paolina Massidda, principal counsel of the ICC Office of Public Counsel for Victims, had sought permission to deliver a 15- to 20-minute statement in Tagalog to help Filipino victims and their families better understand the proceedings.
“For them, it’s also important to listen to how we convey to the Chamber what they narrated to us and their experiences, and they relate and connect much more if that is done in Tagalog,” Massidda said.
Korner, however, warned that allowing additional languages could set a precedent that would complicate proceedings and increase court expenses.
“One of the problems is that the moment we start to do this, then applications come in and it becomes much more complicated and more expensive if we accede to it,” she said.
She also noted that not all victims involved in the case speak Tagalog and that interpretation services would be available.
As a possible compromise, Korner said she would consult the ICC Registry on providing a Tagalog translation or transcript of the opening statements through the court’s website.
Duterte did not attend Monday’s conference after the chamber granted him an exceptional exemption because the hearing was expected to be brief.
The former president faces charges of crimes against humanity stemming from killings linked to his administration’s controversial anti-drug campaign.
The November 30 proceedings will mark a crucial stage in the ICC case, which seeks to establish accountability for alleged extrajudicial killings during Duterte’s drug war./PN
