Rodrigo Duterte is undergoing an evaluation to determine if he is mentally fit to stand trial at the International Criminal Court, with his lawyer claiming the former Philippine leader suffers from severe memory impairment.
Foreign news agencies report that 81-year-old former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is set to appear before the International Criminal Court (ICC) facing charges of crimes against humanity linked to his "war on drugs" policy, which caused thousands of deaths. He is currently being assessed for mental fitness to appear at the court on 30 Nov.
Duterte’s legal team submitted documents to the court stating their client has severe memory problems, is unable to retain new information, and occasionally forgets the name of his lead lawyer, which has hindered their ability to receive instructions or prepare a defense together.
Furthermore, the evaluation found Duterte believes the current year is 2007–2008 and has forgotten the name of the current U.S. president.
However, the prosecution filed documents opposing this, asserting that Duterte still retains the capacity to exercise his rights within the justice process and is "fit to stand trial" according to court criteria.
The medical team conducting the assessment noted that Duterte may "not have fully engaged in the tests," making it impossible to conclude whether his condition is due to malingering, lack of motivation, or a genuine neurological disorder. The defense views the medical report as incomplete and has requested a cross-examination.
Since his arrest and transfer to The Hague, Duterte has appeared only once via video link, during which he appeared confused and drowsy throughout.
The judge has called for Duterte to appear in person at the preliminary hearing; if he does, he would become the first former Asian leader to attend an ICC hearing personally.
The charges against Duterte cover three counts of crimes against humanity, with prosecutors stating he was involved in at least 76 killings between 2013 and 2018 during the Philippine drug war.
Follow international news:https://www.thairath.co.th/news/foreign
Source:cna