The Hague, Netherlands – Former presidential legal counsel Salvador Panelo accused critics of former president Rodrigo Duterte of taking his rhetoric literally, and said prosecutors at the International Criminal Court were building their case around speeches rather than hard evidence as the confirmation of charges hearing opened.
Speaking to reporters outside the court after the first session on Monday, Feb. 24, Panelo criticized the prosecution’s reliance on Duterte’s public remarks.
“Well, anyway, the prosecution has been repeating the same lies, the same surmises, the same speculations, the same allegations using the speeches of the former president as evidence against him,” Panelo said.
“The problem with these people is that when the president, former president says, ‘I will kill you,’ they take him literally,” he added. “What he means by ‘I will kill you’ is I will hunt you to the ends of the earth and prosecute you and clump you to jail.”
Panelo praised the defense team’s opening presentation, saying it had addressed every allegation raised by prosecutors.
“Lahat na nire-raise ng kabila, sinagot ng defense. Walang hindi sinagot. Klarong-klaro,” he said.
[Translation: Everything raised by the other side was answered by the defense. Nothing was left unanswered. It was very clear.]
He added that, in his view, the legal strategy should center on the court authority to hear the case.
“Kung wala kang jurisdiction, kahit ano pang gawin mo, walang kahinatnan,” Panelo said.
[Translation: If you have no jurisdiction, whatever you do will lead nowhere.]
Panelo said under the Rome Statute, the ICC should not intervene if a country has the capacity to prosecute crimes domestically, saying the Philippines had demonstrated such capacity.
Supporters gather outside ICC
Outside the courthouse, Duterte supporters said they planned to maintain a presence throughout the weeklong proceedings.
Pro-Duterte vlogger Alvin Sarzate said he was encouraged by the defense’s arguments during the opening.
“Parang nabuhayan ako ng loob sa mga pinagsasabi ni Atty. Nicholas Kaufman,” he said.
[Translation: I felt encouraged by what Attorney Nicholas Kaufman said.]
He added that volunteers secured permits to gather outside the ICC compound and intended to show daily support.
“We will be here all the time … to show our moral support to the former president and the defense team,” he said.
Sarzate also pushed back at critics who have framed the case in moral or political terms, reacting strongly when asked about claims that supporters needed a “vaccination of truth.”
“What you mean is the virus of your lies. Virus of lies,” he said.
[Translation: What you mean is the virus of your lies. A virus of lies.]
He added: “Yung vaccination, dapat iturok sa inyo — vaccination of truth kasi mga sinuhaling kayo.”
[Translation: The vaccine should be injected to you — a vaccination of truth, because you are liars.]
The confirmation-of-charges hearing, scheduled through Feb. 27, will determine whether judges find sufficient evidence to send Duterte to a full trial on allegations of crimes against humanity linked to his anti-drug campaign. Judges are not deciding guilt or innocence at this stage.
Duterte, 80, denies wrongdoing.
