FORMER president Rodrigo Duterte appeared in an International Criminal Court (ICC) courtroom for the first time on Wednesday, Sept. 16, attending a pre-trial conference in his crimes against humanity case 18 months after he was surrendered to the court.
Dressed in a white shirt and black suit, the 81-year-old Duterte attended the third status conference in his case in The Hague, where the parties discussed procedural matters ahead of his trial scheduled for Nov. 30.
Duterte, who made his initial appearance before the ICC via video link on March 14, 2025, did not speak during Wednesday’s hearing and was seen sitting with his hand resting on his chin.
Among the matters raised by the defense was the prosecution’s disclosure of evidence, which Duterte’s lawyers said was difficult to review and would ordinarily warrant repeating the disclosure process.
Haynes raised concerns over the volume and readability of the material turned over by the prosecution, including an evidence list containing about 15,000 items.
“If I had a younger and healthier client, I would invite you to put back the trial date by six months and start disclosure again, but I don’t,” Duterte’s legal counsel, British lawyer Peter Haynes, said.
The defense has separately raised concerns over Duterte’s health and cognitive condition. According to the defense, medical examinations showed that Duterte has experienced memory impairment. Haynes said Duterte believed he was living in 2007 or 2008, could not correctly recall some family members and was unable to identify the current president of the United States.
The prosecution has disputed the defense’s position on Duterte’s condition and maintained that a reassessment of his fitness to stand trial was unnecessary.
Joanna Korner of the United Kingdom, Keebong Paek of South Korea and Nicolas Guillou of France sat as the panel of judges during the status conference.
Korner, the presiding judge, acknowledged Duterte’s presence in the courtroom and told him he could leave at any time without seeking the judges’ permission.
The chamber will address pending procedural matters before the opening of the trial. Practical information on the proceedings, including webstreaming and possible attendance, is expected to be released closer to the trial date.
The ICC confirmed on April 23 three counts of crimes against humanity against Duterte over alleged killings committed between Nov. 1, 2011 and March 16, 2019 in connection with the anti-drug campaign.
READ: ICC confirms charges vs. Duterte over drug war killings
Duterte was arrested by Philippine authorities at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on March 11, 2025 and surrendered to the ICC the following day.
