Former Philippine Leader Duterte Due In ICC Courtroom For Fitness Hearing Ahead Of Murder Trial

Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is expected to appear in public on Wednesday for the first time since he was transferred to the International Criminal Court (ICC) 18 months ago to face charges of crimes against humanity linked to his administration’s controversial war on drugs.

Duterte, 81, served as president from 2016 to 2022. He was arrested in March 2025 and transferred to The Hague, where he has remained in ICC custody. Prosecutors have accused him of creating, funding and arming death squads that targeted suspected drug dealers and users.

Wednesday’s hearing will focus on Duterte’s health and whether he is fit to stand trial. The trial is currently scheduled to begin in November. His lawyers have argued that he is suffering from cognitive decline and is not medically fit to participate in the proceedings.

Duterte’s lawyer and family did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

ICC judges ruled in January that Duterte’s health was sufficient for him to follow the proceedings and ordered that he attend hearings in person rather than participate through a video link from the detention centre.

According to Duterte’s arrest warrant, prosecutors allege that he was responsible for a widespread and systematic campaign that resulted in thousands of killings between 2011 and 2019, including during his tenure as mayor of Davao City in the southern Philippines.

ICC prosecutors have said that as many as 30,000 people may have been killed in the crackdown, citing findings detailed in a Reuters investigation.

Philippine police have said that 6,200 suspects were killed during anti-drug operations. Duterte has maintained that he instructed police to use force only in self-defence. He has also told supporters that he was prepared to “rot in jail” if that was the price for ridding the Philippines of illegal drugs.