The prosecution at the International Criminal Court has sought to introduce the pre-recorded testimonies of seven additional witnesses who allegedly have evidence of extrajudicial killings in Davao City and across the Philippines under former president Rodrigo Duterte’s anti-drug campaign.
The requests were contained in two separate filings asking Trial Chamber III to admit the witnesses’ statements and supporting materials, less than a month before Duterte’s trial opens on Nov. 30.
In a 12-page filing, the prosecution sought the admission of statements from witnesses identified as P-1136, P-1345, P-1391 and P-1404.
“The four witnesses provide evidence on the violence in the Philippines, in particular [redacted], prior to and during Mr. Duterte’s presidency,” the prosecution said.
P-1136 provided evidence on the targeting of high-value drug personalities and Duterte’s policy of “neutralizing” local public officials allegedly involved in illegal drugs.
P-1345 and P-1391 described patterns in the Philippine National Police’s alleged modus operandi in carrying out killings, including planting shabu and firearms beside victims’ bodies, using paid assets and awarding incentives to police officers involved.
P-1404, meanwhile, discussed the different types of drug watch lists and how Duterte’s alleged co-perpetrators, through the Department of the Interior and Local Government, directed barangay captains to submit updated lists every month.
DDS killings, Laud Quarry
In a separate Nov. 3 filing, the prosecution sought to introduce the testimonies of three other witnesses, P-0019, P-1032 and P-1409, whose accounts concern alleged killings during Duterte’s tenure as Davao City mayor.
“Their evidence primarily relates to the Davao Death Squad’s targeting of alleged criminals,” the prosecution said.
P-0019 described how killings were allegedly “normalized” in Davao City, saying individuals identified by Duterte as criminal suspects on his local television program, Gikan sa Masa, Para sa Masa, were subsequently killed.
Aside from providing evidence on the existence and composition of the Davao Death Squad, P-1032 discussed the location of Laud Quarry and its alleged use as a burial site for victims of drug-related killings.
P-1409, meanwhile, provided evidence on killings allegedly ordered by Duterte and rewards he purportedly gave DDS handlers through his alleged co-perpetrator, Sonny Buenaventura.
The two latest filings bring to eight the prosecution’s applications under Rule 68(3) of the ICC Rules of Procedure and Evidence, which allows previously recorded testimony to be admitted, provided the witness remains available for questioning during trial.
As of Nov. 4, Trial Chamber III had granted the prosecution’s first application but had yet to rule on the remaining seven.
