Prosecutors at the International Criminal Court have removed all references to Incident 57 from their trial brief against former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, following an order from the Trial Chamber in The Hague, Netherlands.
In a document submitted to the court, prosecutors replaced the references with the word “DELETED” to preserve cross-references within the document.
The prosecution said it did not change its witness list as part of the revision.
However, other incidents linked to Incident 57 still contain contextual information concerning alleged crimes against humanity and Duterte’s alleged responsibility, according to the prosecution.
The ICC has not disclosed the specific details of Incident 57 because of sensitive information involving witnesses.
The removal of the incident from the trial brief does not, by itself, mean that the broader case against Duterte has been dismissed or that the allegations have been resolved.
The trial is scheduled to formally open Nov. 30.
Duterte remains detained in The Hague in connection with a crimes-against-humanity case related to the Philippines’ anti-drug campaign.
