Duterte’s defense lawyer announced on July 3, 2023, that they will not pursue an appeal against the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) decision to retain two judges on the trial panel.
The lawyer, Nicolas Kaufman, stated that new, undisclosed information influenced the decision not to file a motion for reconsideration regarding the disqualification of Judges Reine Alapini-Gansou and Maria del Socorro Flores Liera.
Duterte, the former President of the Philippines, faces charges of crimes against humanity related to his anti-drug campaign.
Kaufman expressed concerns over a potential conflict of interest, as both judges previously affirmed the ICC’s jurisdiction in an earlier stage of the case.
The ICC dismissed Duterte’s request to disqualify the judges, citing the Rome Statute, which allows judges to perform their duties at various stages of a case without introducing bias.
The decision stated that there was no partiality in the judges’ conduct as part of their judicial responsibilities.