ICC judge not spared from fake news

MANILA, Philippines — People praised her “no-nonsense” and “surgical” handling of former president Rodrigo Duterte’s first appearance at the International Criminal Court, but ICC Presiding Judge Iulia Motoc also found herself on the receiving end of the vitriol of Duterte supporters.

In some cases, Motoc – a professor of international law and a seasoned human rights lawyer – even became the target of false information and misleading posts online.

Immediately after the hearing last Friday, some supporters of the former president questioned her credibility to preside over the hearing, supposedly because she cannot speak English, the language that Duterte can understand.

But ICC documents showed that Motoc, in fact, is proficient in five languages: her mother tongue Romanian, English, French, Spanish and Italian.

The ICC has six official languages: English, French, Arabic, Chinese, Russian and Spanish.

The proceedings were translated to English for Duterte and his counsel, former executive secretary Salvador Medialdea. The charges were also read in English.

Another false claim directed at Motoc was her supposed link to the Marcos family. One photo circulated showing First Lady Liza Marcos with a group of women.

Some claimed that Motoc and a fellow ICC judge, Socorro Flores Liera of Mexico, were among those in the photo. This is not true as the women photographed with the first lady were identified as Filipinos and not the ICC judges.

On LinkedIn, an employment-focused platform, one of Motoc’s recent posts has received numerous comments from Filipino users calling for the release of Duterte. The post has since been taken down, although screenshots of the comments she received have gone viral online.

Motoc also limited who can comment on her Facebook page, but this did not stop Duterte supporters from giving “angry” reactions to her posts, many of which are not related to the ICC.

‘No-nonsense’

Despite the vitriol, Motoc also drew praise – including from legal scholars – for her handling of the hearing.

Mel Sta. Maria, former dean of the Far Eastern University’s Institute of Law, described her as a “no-nonsense” judge.

Filipino online users also observed her “surgical” and “straightforward” approach in responding to Medialdea’s efforts to delay the proceedings.

For instance, when Medialdea claimed that Duterte has “debilitating medical issues,” Motoc was quick to point out that the “Court has taken specific measures with regard to his health situation.”

But she also agreed that the health matters raised by Medialdea “are very important, especially concerning the matter of age.”

On Medialdea’s move to postpone the hearing, she was firm on the Chamber’s earlier denial, saying Duterte’s camp will have the opportunity to raise their issues before the next hearing on Sept. 23.

The hearing, which was attended by Duterte through a video link from his nearby detention facility in The Hague, lasted for about 25 minutes.

Who is Motoc?

Motoc, a Romanian, has extensive experience in international law.

She was a former judge at the European Court of Human Rights and served as United Nations special rapporteur for the Democratic Republic of Congo. She was also a former judge of the Constitutional Court of Romania and a professor at the University of Bucharest in Romania.

As a judge, “Motoc dealt with serious and complex cases including corruption and sexual violence, genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes,” her profile on the ICC website read.

“Judge Motoc has extensive experience with the United Nations and various legal systems. She was a member and Vice President of the UN Human Rights Committee examining the right to life, enforced disappearances and other massive violations of human rights that are also within the competence of the International Criminal Court,” it noted.

She holds a law degree from University of Bucharest and a Master’s and PhD in international law from the University Paul Cezanne in France. She also has a PhD in Philosophy from the University of Bucharest and was senior fellow at the New York University School of Law and Yale School of Law in the United States.

Three female judges compose the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I, which is currently handling Duterte’s proceedings: Motoc, Flores Liera and Reine Alapini-Gansou of Benin.

If the charges against Duterte are confirmed after the Sept. 23 hearing, another set of judges composing a Trial Chamber will handle the case.