International Criminal Court (ICC) assistant to counsel, Atty. Kristina Conti, clarified that the Philippine government will not be shouldering the expenses for the participation of victims’ families serving as witnesses in the ICC case against former President Rodrigo Duterte.
According to Atty. Conti, the ICC has its own allocated funds for such matters.
She emphasized that the ICC has very strict qualifications for witnesses, and even stricter requirements for those who may be placed under the witness protection program, which comes with numerous restrictions.
“Being a witness at the ICC is no walk in the park,” Conti explained. “They are not tourists. They have no freedom in their schedules and face many limitations in their movements.”
She also pointed out that witnesses should not be considered freeloaders, as their role often comes at the cost of their livelihood, exposure to security threats, and psychological trauma.
Atty. Conti appealed to the public not to divert attention away from the killings allegedly ordered by former officials.
“It’s also important to remember that not everyone killed was a drug addict. Some were children, the elderly, or simply mistaken for someone else,” she added.
Furthermore, she noted that if anyone wishes to file cases at the ICC or in any other court concerning crimes against humanity or murder, they are free to do so—but they must be prepared to do the work.
