THIS Women’s Month, three female judges of the International Criminal Court (ICC) greenlighted the arrest of former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte for alleged crimes against humanity over his bloody war on drugs.
Judges Iulia Motoc, Reine Alapini-Gansou, and Maria del Socorro Flores Liera of the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I signed a 15-page arrest warrant for Duterte, outlining accusations against him over killings in his anti-illegal drug campaign from November 2011 to March 2019.
The 79-year-old former chief executive was arrested at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 on March 11.
Duterte faced judges Motoc, Alapini-Gansou, and Liera during his first appearance at the ICC via a video link, where the trio informed him of his charges and rights.
But who are these ICCl judges who are handling Duterte’s proceedings, following the international tribunal’s years-long investigation into his drug war?
Judge Iulia Motoc
Motoc is the presiding judge for the Pre-Trial Chamber I in Duterte’s crimes against humanity case.
She is an international law expert who became a judge at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) and professor of international law before joining the international court. Motoc also served as a United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur for the Democratic of Congo.
The Romanian judge has dealt with serious cases like corruption, sexual violence, genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes.
Motoc has a remarkable educational background, holding five academic degrees, including a master’s degree, a PhD, and a habilitation in law.
In 1995, she began teaching public international law focusing on human rights and humanitarian law at her alma mater, the University of Bucharest. Seven years later, the university appointed her as a full professor.
Motoc has been a visiting professor in various educational institutions like the European Institute Florence and The Hague Academy of International Law.
Following Duterte’s pre-trial hearing, Motoc’s social media pages and LinkedIn profile were spammed by the former president’s supporters who appealed for his release. However, ICC Assistant to Counsel Kristina Conti said this move against the ICC judge might backfire and add to Duterte’s cases.
Judge Reine Alapini-Gansou
Joining Motoc is Alapini-Gansou, a Beninese judge of the ICC since 2018.
Before this, she worked as the chair of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) from 2009 to 2012 and special rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders in Africa from 2005 to 2009 and 2012 to 2017.
Alapini-Gansou has also served in several UN commissions of inquiries on human rights violations and became a judge at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in 2011.
Like Motoc, Alapini-Gansou has an exceptional educational background, obtaining several diplomas in the area of international human rights law from the African Institute of Human Rights in Banjul, René Cassin Institute of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France, and the International Development Law Organization (IDLO) in Rome.
The ICC judge also obtained a master’s degree in Business Law and Judicial Careers from the National University of Benin.
In addition, she also teaches at the University of Abomey-Calavi in Benin.
While working at the ICC, Alapini-Gansou became the president of the Pre-Trial Division from April 2019 to September 2020.
Judge Maria del Socorro Flores Liera
Meanwhile, Liera joined the international tribunal in 2021.
Before joining the ICC, Liera took several senior positions in Mexico’s Foreign Service. She served as Mexico’s permanent representative to the UN and other international organizations in Geneva.
She also served as vice president of the Human Rights Council in 2020 and became a member of the Mexican branch of the International Law Association.
The Mexican judge studied law at the Universidad Iberoamericana and the Faculty of Law of the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, where she specialized in public international law.
Liera played an important role in creating the ICC, taking part in the negotiations that led to the Rome Statute and the adoption of the Elements of Crimes and Rules of Procedure and Evidence. To recall, the Rome Statute is a treaty that established the ICC in 2002, where the Philippines became a member from November 2011 until March 2019.
Liera later became the first Head of the Court’s Liaison Office at the UN in New York.
Duterte in The Hague
Duterte is currently in The Hague in The Netherlands to face allegations of crimes against humanity over his drug war.
He will remain in a detention center there, awaiting the confirmation of charges hearing scheduled for September 23.
The former Philippine president may contest the accusations against him in this court proceeding, with British-Israeli lawyer Nicholas Kaufman serving as his lead defense counsel.
