ICC call for Philippine translators a sign Duterte’s crimes against humanity trial ‘moving forward’

In what could be an ominous sign for Rodrigo Duterte, the International Criminal Court (ICC) has quietly put out a call for “freelance translators in Tagalog and Cebuano” – languages involved in the crimes against humanity trial the former Philippine president could face.

The ICC announced in 2016 it was following Duterte’s bloody war on drugs, but in the years following its interest seemed to wane. Advertisements for translators in late March show the case is still moving, with an observer suggesting there could be nudges from the government of President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr.

Former senator Antonio Trillanes told This Week in Asia the move was “significant because it’s a clear indication that the investigation phase is in full swing”.

He added, “according to my information, the investigation is in its final stages and the [ICC’s] Office of the Prosecutor might file an application for a warrant of arrest soon thereafter.”

Harry Roque Jnr, former spokesman of Duterte and a human rights lawyer, also acknowledged that the call for translators indicated “that they’re moving forward”. He told This Week in Asia that Duterte had been consulting him on the case and he was standing as the former president’s lawyer “for all matters relating to the ICC”.

Political analyst Ronald Llamas said: “I don’t know if [Marcos Jnr] will bring the ICC case to a logical conclusion in order to serve an international warrant – but that could be part of his foreign policy, to rebrand his Marcos name.”

Ruben Carranza of the International Centre for Transitional Justice cautioned: “Even if a warrant or summons is issued by the court, serving the warrant or summons and transferring the person arrested will open legal issues. Even the issuance of a warrant