Update on Findings of ICC Medical Panel on Former Pres. Rodrigo Duterte
ICC MEDICAL PANEL – The medical experts tapped by the International Criminal Court reportedly found former President Rodrigo Duterte fit to stand trial contrary to the claim of his lawyer, Nicholas Kaufman.
The International Criminal Court previously postponed the confirmation of charges hearing of former Pres. Rodrigo Duterte after his lawyer, Nicholas Kaufman, claimed that the former Chief Executive is allegedly “not fit to stand trial”. The 80-year-old former President is detained under the custody of the ICC since March.
ICC prosecution proposed that Duterte should allegedly be checked by three (3) medical experts
to determine his fitness to stand trial. Kaufman claimed that the former President can hardly recall places, events, and even some members of his family.
The foreign court indeed ordered former Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte to undergo a checkup of ICC medical panel composed of three (3) medical experts tapped by the foreign court.
an expert in forensic psychiatry
an expert in neuropsychology
an expert in geriatric and behavioral psychology with experience in “the examination of an elderly person on fitness to participate in judicial proceedings”
Photo Source: Reuters
Previously, after the ICC rejected the interim release plea of the former President,
Duterte’s lawyer confirmed that they have received the report of the ICC medical panel
“but their content is confidential at present”. The medical report came shortly after the interim release plea ruling was made.
Recently, an update crossed the surface. Based on a report on PhilStar, the ICC medical panel found former Pres. Rodrigo Duterte fit to stand trial. The findings of the medical experts which came with a unanimous decision goes contrary with the previous claim of Duterte’s lawyer that the former Chief Executive is allegedly unfit to stand trial.
Based on the
report
, the camp of former Pres. Rodrigo Duterte strongly rejected the conclusions of the ICC medical panel. With regards to the prosecution, team, it called for the immediate resumption of the proceedings against the former Chief Executive.
While the ICC medical panel believes that former Pres. Rodrigo Duterte is fit to undergo pre-trial proceedings, the foreign court has yet to issue an actual ruling on whether the former President is fit to stand trial or not. The medical report has yet to be made publicly available as well.
Previously, amid the wish of the former President to spend Christmas with his family, lawyer Nicholas Kaufman claimed that the
Duterte family may not be allowed to visit their dad on Christmas day