Duterte attends ICC proceeding in person

THE HAGUE, Netherlands, September 17 ------ Former president Rodrigo Duterte appeared in person at the International Criminal Court (ICC) for the first time as he faces charges over his “war on drugs” that killed thousands.

The 81-year-old had appeared by video link when he was first brought to the court in The Hague, but had since skipped various hearings, with his defense team citing poor health. Dressed in a dark suit, white shirt and no tie, the former president sat impassively as the proceedings opened, resting his chin on his hands.

President Judge Joanna Korner noted his appearance in court for the first time, and said he could leave the court at any time without seeking permission from the bench. Duterte, who is facing charges of crimes against humanity, has missed a series of hearings since his arrest last year. Medical reasons were cited for his absence, but the court’s judges ruled in January that he was healthy enough to stand trial.

Duterte’s charges stem from his alleged involvement in dozens of killings as part of his so-called war on drugs while in office, first as the mayor of Davao City and later as president. He denies the charges against him. Wednesday’s hearing was to discuss evidence disclosure and come up with a timetable for the trial, which will open in November. “He’s fully aware that you’ll expect to see him sooner rather than later,” Duterte’s lead counsel Peter Haynes told the judges during the June hearing, referring to his client.

Duterte was arrested in March 2025 and was set to appear in court in The Hague in September last year. However, the hearing was delayed after a pretrial panel of judges granted a “limited postponement” to give the court time to determine whether Duterte was fit enough to take part in the proceedings.

Following an assessment by a panel of medical experts, judges ruled that Duterte is “fit to take part in the pretrial proceedings.” The ICC has been looking into mass killings in crackdowns overseen by Duterte since 2018. Estimates of the death toll during Duterte’s presidential term vary, from the more than 6,000 that the national police have reported up to 30,000 claimed by human rights groups.

According to the prosecutors, police and government hit squads carried out dozens of killings at Duterte’s orders, motivated by the promise of money or to avoid becoming targets themselves. A month after the court in February 2018 announced a preliminary investigation into the violent drug crackdowns, Duterte said the Philippines would withdraw from the ICC.

Last year, judges rejected a request from Duterte’s legal team to throw out the case because of the Philippine withdrawal. Countries cannot “abuse” their right to withdraw from the court’s foundational Rome Statute “by shielding persons from justice in relation to alleged crimes that are already under consideration,” the decision says.

Earlier this year, an attempt by authorities to arrest Sen. Ronald dela Rosa, wanted by the ICC in connection with the drug killings, dissolved into gunfire in the Senate in May. No one was hurt. The court had unsealed an arrest warrant for dela Rosa, who served as national police chief under Duterte. Dela Rosa went into hiding following the Senate standoff and remains on the run. Two months later, the Senate, acting as an impeachment court, opened the trial of Duterte’s daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte. If convicted of the charges, which include amassing unexplained wealth and publicly threatening the family of the current president, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., she may be permanently disqualified from holding public office. She denies the charges.

Source: manilatimes.net