Analysts told This Week in Asia that the decision has narrowed the 80-year-old’s room for political manoeuvre while potentially strengthening, under some circumstances, the positioning of his daughter Sara Duterte-Carpio, the current vice-president.
Duterte did not appear during the hearing, with counsel Nicolas Kaufman attending on his behalf.
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Will Duterte become Asia’s first ex-leader convicted by the International Criminal Court?
Will Duterte become Asia’s first ex-leader convicted by the International Criminal Court?
The former leader had been set for arraignment on September 23 after being arrested in Manila and flown to the Netherlands on March 11. Kaufman then filed an urgent plea for interim release, which the pre-trial chamber rejected on September 26 before the matter was elevated to the Appeals Chamber.
