A Japanese human rights advocate has claimed that the Marcos administration may once again attempt to pressure the United Nations after a written statement questioning the continued detention of former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte was officially accepted by the UN Human Rights Council for circulation during its 63rd session.

Shunichi Fujiki, Director of the International Career Support Association (ICSA), announced that the organization’s written statement (A/HRC/63/NGO/7) had been received and accepted by the UN Human Rights Council and would be distributed to UN member states, observer states, relevant Special Rapporteurs, and other stakeholders.

In a public statement released on August 4, Fujiki questioned whether the Marcos administration would “once again attempt to pressure the United Nations” to withdraw the submission. He also alleged that intimidation and suppression supposedly directed against Filipino citizens “will not work against me, a foreign national (Japanese), nor against the United Nations human rights mechanisms.” The Marcos administration has not publicly responded to Fujiki’s latest remarks.

According to Fujiki, the submission raises concerns over the prolonged pre-trial detention of former President Rodrigo Duterte before the International Criminal Court (ICC), arguing that the case should be examined under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the Rome Statute, and the UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, also known as the Nelson Mandela Rules.

The document contends that Duterte, who was surrendered to ICC custody on March 11, 2025, has remained detained for more than 500 days while awaiting trial scheduled for November 30, 2026. It argues that the detention raises questions about due process, complementarity under the Rome Statute, and the treatment of elderly detainees with health concerns.

The statement also alleges that the ICC proceedings have become intertwined with domestic political conflicts in the Philippines, raises concerns about the credibility of certain witnesses and evidence, and criticizes what it describes as a broader pattern of political persecution against Duterte allies and critics of the administration. It further calls on the Human Rights Council to examine whether the actions of both the Philippine government and the ICC comply with international human rights obligations.

Among its recommendations, the submission urges the UN Human Rights Council to call for the release of senators allegedly detained on politically motivated charges, end what it describes as suppression of free expression, and ask the ICC to reconsider Duterte’s detention and issue an apology and reparations should violations be established.

Fujiki also announced that Filipino overseas workers from several European countries and Japan are planning what he described as an “unprecedented” activity during the 63rd session of the UN Human Rights Council, although he did not disclose further details.The 63rd session of the UN Human Rights Council is scheduled to run from September 7 to October 9, 2026.