Camille Naredo

Mr Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s initial appearance took place on Friday, 14 March 2025, at 14:00 hours (The Hague local time), before Pre-Trial Chamber I of the International Criminal Court ("ICC" or "Court").

Article (news)

Initial appearance of Mr Rodrigo Roa Duterte

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/176942326797020250314-duterte-pre-trial-chamber-ICC.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Former Philippine president Rodrigo Roa Duterte makes his initial appearance before Pre-Trial Chamber I of the International Criminal Court on March 14, 2025. Handout/ICC/File" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Former Philippine president Rodrigo Roa Duterte makes his initial appearance before Pre-Trial Chamber I of the International Criminal Court on March 14, 2025. <em>Handout/ICC/File</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA (<strong>4th UPDATE</strong>) -- Former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte is &quot;fit to take part in the pre-trial proceedings,&quot; the Pre-Trial Chamber I of the International Criminal Court (ICC) announced on Monday.</p><p>Their decision was based on the medical assessment of three independent experts, who conducted a medical examination of Duterte.</p><p>&quot;Having regard to the relevant legal principles, the medical assessment of the independent experts composing the Panel, and all of the relevant circumstances of the case, the Chamber was satisfied that Mr Duterte is able effectively to exercise his procedural rights and is therefore fit to take part in the pre-trial proceedings, which are thereby resumed,&quot; the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I said.</p><p>The court has scheduled the commencement of the confirmation of charges hearing for February 23.</p><p>An order setting the schedule and directions for the hearing on the confirmation of charges will be issued in due course, the ICC chamber added.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/1/23/vp-duterte-says-dad-rodrigo-ok-when-she-visited-him-in-icc-detention-1233">READ: VP Duterte says dad Rodrigo ‘OK&#x27; when she visited him in ICC detention</a></div><p>ICC prosecutors have charged the 80-year-old Duterte with three counts of crimes against humanity, alleging his involvement in at least 76 murders as part of his &quot;war on drugs&quot;.</p><p>The first count concerns his alleged involvement as a co-perpetrator in 19 murders carried out between 2013 and 2016 while Duterte was mayor of Davao City.</p><p>The second count relates to 14 murders of so-called &quot;High Value Targets&quot; in 2016 and 2017 when Duterte was president.</p><p>And the third charge is about 43 murders committed during &quot;clearance&quot; operations of lower-level alleged drug users or pushers.</p><p>These took place across the Philippines between 2016 and 2018, the prosecution alleged.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>-- DEFENSE TO APPEAL --</strong></div><p>Duterte was arrested in Manila on March 11, flown to the Netherlands that same night and has been held at the ICC&#x27;s detention unit at Scheveningen Prison since.</p><p>He followed his initial hearing by video link, appearing dazed and frail and barely speaking.</p><p>In October, the court had already rejected a defense plea for early release, arguing he posed a flight risk and could be in a position to influence witnesses if freed.</p><p>Duterte&#x27;s defense had argued the former leader&#x27;s short-term memory was &quot;demonstrably impacted&quot; to the extent he could not &quot;retain information for more than a short space of time.&quot;</p><p>The defense team said this made it impossible for him to follow a hearing fairly and to instruct his lawyers effectively.</p><p>However, the judges said they were &quot;not persuaded by these arguments.&quot;</p><p>Atty. Nicholas Kaufman, Duterte&#x27;s legal counsel, said they will &quot;seek leave to appeal today&#x27;s decision on the grounds that Mr Duterte was denied due process.&quot;</p><p>&quot;The appointed panel was, in our opinion, anything but independent. After selecting and then revoking the appointment of two wholly unsuitable candidates - one of whom was under active suspension and the other a rabid social media troll - the judges settled on professionals from a shortlist crafted by the Registry,&quot; he added.</p><p>&quot;Thereafter, the judges refused to entertain the reports supplied by the Defense&#x27;s own experts without motivation and denied a hearing in which the Defense could question the appointed professionals in order to clarify the numerous inconsistencies arising out of their individual reports.&quot;</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/1/24/duterte-defense-team-insists-icc-cannot-probe-philippines-after-withdrawal-in-2019-2028">READ: Duterte defense team insists ICC cannot probe Philippines after withdrawal in 2019</a></div><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>-- &#x27;END THE DRAMA&#x27; --</strong></div><p>In a statement, ICC Assistant to Counsel Kristina Conti said the decision &quot;ends the uncertainty&quot; regarding Duterte&#x27;s case.</p><p>&quot;This should also end the drama about an old and frail man; the Court clearly finds that Duterte is a perceptive person who has a broad understanding of what he has been charged with,&quot; she added.</p><p>&quot;We are relieved that, despite his alleged medical conditions, he has functional mental capacities,&quot; Conti also said. &quot;The panel of experts even mention that his conditions do not prevent him from giving testimony.</p><p>&quot;We assure all that we will be ready for that day, and for every day this case is heard in court.&quot;</p><p>Conti noted that the exact scope of the charges against Duterte will be discussed at the hearing, but stressed that victims of the former president&#x27;s drug war continue to urge the prosecution and the court to expand the acts that can be attributed to Duterte.</p><p>They want the inclusion of &quot;the whole range of crimes,&quot; including imprisonment, torture, and other inhumane acts, as part of the general charge of crimes against humanity. </p><p>Duterte was taken into custody on March 11, 2025, after arriving from Hong Kong, following an arrest warrant issued by the ICC.</p><p>Such a high-profile hearing comes at a time when the ICC finds itself under unprecedented pressure.</p><p>Furious at arrest warrants issued for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the United States has slapped sanctions on top ICC judges and prosecutors.</p><p>The ICC is also lacking a chief prosecutor as Karim Khan has stepped down temporarily pending an investigation into sexual abuse allegations against him that he denies.</p><p>In October, the court dismissed Khan from working on the Duterte case, citing a &quot;reasonable appearance of bias.&quot;</p><p>This will have little practical impact on the hearing as Khan would have been on leave anyway.</p><div><br/></div><div></div>

<p>Former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte is "fit to take part in the pre-trial proceedings," the Pre-Trial Chamber I of the International Criminal Court (ICC) announced on Monday.</p>

Former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte is "fit to take part in the pre-trial proceedings," the Pre-Trial Chamber I of the International Criminal Court (ICC) announced on Monday.

ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I says Duterte 'fit to take part in pre-trial proceedings'

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ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I says Duterte 'fit to take part in pre-trial proceedings'

Camille B. Naredo,

ABS-CBN News; Agence France-Presse

Published Jan 26, 2026 06:13 PM PHT

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Updated Jan 26, 2026 11:25 PM PHT

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