ICC prosecution requests deadline extension for disclosure of witnesses
Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is seen on a screen in the courtroom of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, Netherlands, Friday, March 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong, Pool)
MANILA, Philippines — The International Criminal Court’s (ICC) Office of the Prosecutor has requested that the Pre-Trial Chamber 1 extend the deadline for disclosure of arrest warrant materials as well as the identity of witnesses in former president Rodrigo Duterte’s crime against humanity case.
The Prosecution made the request in a seven-page document dated May 14, noting that there is good cause to extend the disclosure deadline in relation to the arrest warrant materials no later than July 1, 2025, as well as withhold witness identities related to Duterte’s case until June 20, 2025.
With this request, the Prosecution emphasized that the Chamber “may extend or reduce a time limit if good cause is shown.”
“The Prosecution is proceeding on the basis that adequate protective measures can soon be put in place, which will allow for the standard disclosure of the witnesses’ identities and materials at the earliest opportunity, and no later than 1 July 2025,” the document states.
READ: ICC prosecutor in Duterte case on leave amid sexual misconduct probe
“The Prosecution therefore respectfully requests that the Chamber further extend the deadline for disclosure of the witnesses’ arrest warrant materials until the general disclosure deadline of July 1, 2025,” it added.
Identity of witnesses
As for the request to withhold the identity of witnesses, the Prosecution assesses that it is” unlikely to be necessary to make applications to withhold the identity of witnesses by the current May 23, 2025 deadline.”
“For this reason, and in the interests of judicial economy, the Prosecution respectfully requests that the deadline for all applications pursuant to rule 81(4) is extended until June 20, 2025,” it said.
“Should the Prosecution assess that a non-disclosure application is necessary, a single deadline would also allow for the Chamber to decide on all applications concurrently, with full appreciation of the impact of any such potential applications,” it added.
The Prosecution submits that both of the requested extensions are reasonable and consistent with Duterte’s rights.
It likewise argued that they are making every effort to conduct its investigative activities in a way that will not affect the disclosure process or the conduct of the confirmation of charges proceedings.
The prosecutor of the ICC earlier stated that it has at least 421 documents, nine photos, and nearly 16 hours of audio and video files that it will use as evidence against Duterte when he faces the tribunal again in September.
READ: Videos photos 8000 pages more evidence vs Duterte
Arrest warrant
The Office of the Prosecutor of the ICC previously said it applied for an arrest warrant against Duterte for “the crimes against humanity of murder, torture and rape” on February 10.
After this, the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber 1 assessed the material submitted by the Prosecution and found reasonable grounds to believe that Duterte is “individually responsible as an indirect co-perpetrator for the crime against humanity of murder, allegedly committed in the Philippines” between November 1, 2011 and March 16, 2019.
The ICC stated that the warrant of arrest against Duterte was issued as “secret” on March 7, 2025, and subsequently reclassified as “public” on March 11, 2025.
Subsequently, on March 12, Duterte was surrendered by the Philippine government to the ICC after being arrested by the authorities in accordance with the warrant of arrest.
Duterte initially appeared before the chamber’s hearing on March 14 via video link.
Currently, the chamber has provisionally scheduled the hearing on the confirmation of charges against Duterte for September 23, 2025. / MR
