Lawyers representing victims of former President Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war have urged the International Criminal Court (ICC) to limit the questioning time of a witness identified as P-1303 to protect her psychological well-being.
In a public redacted filing released on November 10, the Common Legal Representatives of Victims (CLRV) supported the prosecution’s request to admit the previously recorded testimonies of witnesses P-0008, P-1303, and P-1164 under Rule 68(3) of the Rome Statute.
However, the victims’ lawyers asked Trial Chamber III to minimize P-1303’s participation, citing her “highly traumatizing” experience involving the death of an unnamed victim. The witness, identified as a parent, reportedly said that recounting the incident causes her “severe distress.”
“Reducing the number of times she is required to recall and relive these memories in the courtroom would therefore help to significantly mitigate the psychological impact of giving testimony,” the CLRV stated in its filing.
The lawyers also invoked Article 68(1) of the Rome Statute, which requires the court to take appropriate measures to protect the safety, physical and psychological well-being, dignity, and privacy of victims and witnesses.
They emphasized that admitting the witness's prior recorded testimony would “help to avoid unnecessary repetition of her traumatic experiences while preserving the defense’s opportunity to examine her.”
Presiding Judge Joanna Korner and fellow judges Keebong Paek and Nicolas Guillou have yet to decide on 15 pending prosecution applications concerning the admission of prior recorded testimonies.
Duterte is scheduled to face trial on November 30 over crimes against humanity charges linked to his administration’s war on drugs.
