THE HAGUE – The so-called “Kill List,” or a record of names tagged as drug personalities paraded by Rodrigo Duterte during his presidency, led to a spate of killings of narco-politicians and crime suspects, including children and the poor, the prosecution told the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Tuesday.
On the second day of the confirmation of charges hearing, Edward Jeremy, trial lawyer for the prosecution, cited the “PRRD List,” also known in media reports as the “Kill List,” to establish that Duterte was criminally responsible for the murder and attempted murder of 59 individuals.
The number comprises the 14 “high-value targets” killed from 2016 to 2017, and the murder of 43 and attempted murder of two others in barangay-level operations by the police from 2016 to 2018.
READ: ICC prosecutor: Fear of Duterte led to slays
“PRRD list was a dead list,” Jeremy stressed, adding that Duterte bragged about his drug matrix in multiple instances.
Citing various public statements of Duterte throughout his years in Malacañang, Jeremy said: “It’s worth pausing here and taking a step back… this is the President of the Philippines, commander in chief, the most powerful man in the Philippines, pointing directly at the crowd and telling them to kill someone’s child…. simply because they may have an addiction to drugs,” he said.
Jeremy also pointed to a joke made by Duterte that the EJKs would make funerals a lucrative business. This pronouncement by the former president led to the brutal killing of a 14-year-old child, who was later found strangled with wire and wrapped in tape, and whose body was later sold to a funeral home.
READ: Day 2 of Duterte ICC hearing sees more evidence presented
“Duterte indeed is not joking,” the trial lawyer told the chamber.
Duterte faces three ICC counts of crimes against humanity, with prosecutors alleging his involvement in at least 76 murders between 2013 and 2018.
Prosecutors say this is a “mere fraction” of the thousands believed killed in his “war on drugs” as mayor of Davao City and then president.
The week-long ICC proceedings are not a trial but a “confirmation of charges” hearing, enabling judges to weigh whether to move ahead with a trial.
Duterte, 80, is not in court after exercising his right not to appear.
His defense team says he is weak and in cognitive decline. The prosecution and victims counter that he is healthy but does not want to face the loved-ones of victims.
The court passed him fit to attend but granted his right to stay away.
Once the hearings wrap up Friday, the court will take up to 60 days to decide whether to proceed to a full trial, usually in a written judgement.
Duterte’s defense lawyer, Nicholas Kaufman, on Monday said his client “maintained his innocence absolutely”.
Kaufman argued that while Duterte used “bluster and hyperbole” in his speeches, he also frequently ordered authorities only to shoot in self-defense./dl
ANN/Philippine Daily Inquirer
