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ICC calls off July status conference in Duterte case; trial date remains set for November 

by Contributor
written by Contributor

THE TRIAL Chamber III of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has canceled the upcoming status conference in the case against former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, originally scheduled for July 14, 2026.

In a formal order, the Chamber explained that the session was called off after both the prosecution and defense panels, along with other registered participants, indicated that there were no pressing or specific legal matters requiring the court’s immediate attention at this stage of the pre-trial proceedings.

With the mid-July meeting vacated, the ICC has rescheduled the next status conference for September 16, 2026.

Court officials confirmed that the temporary adjustment to the pre-trial timeline will not delay the main proceedings.

 The historic trial remains firmly on track to begin on November 30, 2026.

The case against the former president centers on alleged crimes against humanity committed during his administration’s controversial anti-drug campaign, as well as killings attributed to the “Davao Death Squad” (DDS) during his tenure as mayor of Davao City.

The upcoming September status conference is expected to finalize critical judicial protocols, including the definitive timeline for witness testimonies, the presentation of documentary evidence, and the formal protective measures for victims and whistleblowers before the trial officially begins in November.

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ICC freezes seized cash of Duterte; defense cries ‘fishing expedition’

by Rhoda Grace Saron
written by Rhoda Grace Saron

TRIAL JUDGES at the International Criminal Court (ICC) have officially approved a prosecution request to freeze all cash seized from former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte following his high-profile arrest last year.

According to public filings released by Trial Chamber III, the court granted the prosecution’s bid to freeze “any money that had been seized” from the 81-year-old former leader when he was arrested at the Manila airport and transferred to the tribunal’s custody in March 2025.

While the ICC Registry maintains custody of the confiscated property at the detention facility in The Hague, the exact amount of cash recovered from Duterte remains undisclosed.

The asset freeze has sparked a fierce legal battle between prosecutors and Duterte’s defense team.

 Led by British barrister Peter Haynes, the defense initially dismissed the freeze order as “unnecessary” and “pointless,” arguing that the funds were already secured in the ICC registry and that the move would have no practical effect.

However, the core of the dispute has shifted to other personal belongings seized during the arrest—specifically, a set of keys.

The prosecution has requested access to inspect all items and keys in the Registry’s custody to determine if they link to further evidence or hidden assets. Duterte’s lawyers have fiercely opposed this, labeling the move an unsubstantiated overreach.

“The request is, in substance, a fishing expedition,” Haynes stated in the defense submission. “The prosecution advances no evidential basis connecting the keys either to the commission or furtherance of the alleged crimes or to any assets that may be relevant to the investigation.”

“The basis of such a request must exist before the investigation is undertaken, not emerge as a result thereof,” the defense added. “The prosecution cannot be permitted to examine the keys to articulate, post facto, the evidential foundation required to justify that examination in the first place.”

Beyond the keys, the defense team has urged Trial Chamber III to heavily restrict prosecutors from accessing any personal information that could compromise third parties.

Because Duterte was traveling with family members at the time of his arrest, his lawyers claim that looking into his personal effects could violate the privacy rights of his relatives.

The defense has requested that any digital or personal data irrelevant to the case be “destroyed or permanently deleted at the earliest possible opportunity.”

Duterte, who faces multiple counts of crimes against humanity tied to his administration’s deadly “war on drugs,” has been detained in the Netherlands since March 2025. His mandatory trial is scheduled to begin on Nov. 30, 2026.

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ICC TO DUTERTE: Show up in September; trial milestones locked in as former president skips 2nd pretrial hearing

by Rhoda Grace Saron
written by Rhoda Grace Saron

THE INTERNATIONAL Criminal Court (ICC) has issued a clear mandate for detained former President Rodrigo Duterte to personally attend his next major pretrial milestone in September, even as he skipped the court’s second status conference.

During the two-hour public session held on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, Trial Chamber III presiding Judge Joanna Korner explicitly stated that while Duterte was permitted to waive his presence for Tuesday’s “relatively short” procedural hearing, his physical presence will be required as the legal framework tightens.

“I’d rather feel the one on the 7th of September—because by then we’ll have had the [medical] reports—is likely to be an important one,” Judge Korner said. “And for that, certainly… we would expect Mr. Duterte to be here, unless there’s some medical issue.”

Duterte, who has been detained at The Hague since March 2025, is facing three counts of crimes against humanity, specifically murder and attempted murder, stemming from his administration’s controversial “war on drugs” and his alleged links to the “Davao Death Squad”.

The second status conference focused heavily on mapping out strict procedural milestones ahead of the formal trial, which is set to begin daily sessions on November 30, 2026.

The Chamber established a series of subsequent status conferences to manage pretrial logistics following the court’s impending judicial recess:

July 14, 2026; September 7, 2026 (Mandatory attendance expected for Duterte); October 13, 2026; and November 2, 2026

Additionally, critical deadliness was formalized. A panel of independent medical experts tasked with assessing Duterte’s physical fitness to stand trial must submit their findings by August 18. Both the prosecution and defense teams have until August 31 to file their respective observations on those medical reports.

The prosecution, which has compiled an overwhelming cache of evidence including 197 speeches and up to 70 witnesses, must also submit its finalized, comprehensive trial brief by the August 31 deadline.  

Meanwhile, Judge Korner issued a stern warning to both the defense and prosecution teams regarding public commentary, explicitly telling counsel to refrain from litigating the case outside the courtroom.

Beyond timelines, Judge Korner issued a stern warning to both the defense and prosecution teams regarding public commentary, explicitly telling counsel to refrain from litigating the case outside the courtroom.

Korner referenced “wholly inappropriate” past media interviews given by former defense counsel Nicholas Kaufman, emphasizing that the ICC will not tolerate attempts to skew the narrative.

“The appropriate forum for counsel to raise matters is in the courtroom,” Korner reminded the chamber. “Trials are not conducted by the court of public opinion, but by this court during the course of the proceedings.”

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ICC orders new medical evaluation for Duterte ahead of November trial

by Rhoda Grace Saron
written by Rhoda Grace Saron

THE INTERNATIONAL Criminal Court (ICC) has ordered a new, independent medical assessment of former President Rodrigo Duterte to determine whether he is fit to stand trial for alleged crimes against humanity.

In a 17-page public redacted decision issued on June 12, 2026, ICC Trial Chamber III appointed a three-member panel of independent medical experts to evaluate Duterte’s current physical and psychological health before full-scale trial proceedings begin.

Duterte, 81, has been in ICC custody since March 2025 following his surrender, with the court confirming charges against him in April 2026 regarding his administration’s controversial anti-drug campaign.

Presiding Judge Joanna Korner, alongside Judge Keebong Paek and Judge Nicolas Guillou, emphasized that this new evaluation is a mandatory step as the case transitions from the pre-trial stage to the trial phase. 

While a previous medical panel cleared Duterte to participate in pre-trial hearings in January 2026, the Chamber noted that those findings were strictly limited to his cognitive and physical capacity at that specific time.

“Given that the accused is now to stand trial, the Chamber finds that it requires an objective assessment of the accused’s health by independent experts for the purposes of making a determination as to his fitness to stand trial,” the Chamber stated in its ruling.  

To maintain continuity and efficiency, Trial Chamber III has tapped the exact same multidisciplinary panel of medical professionals who conducted the pre-trial review. 

The experts will use their initial findings as a baseline to determine if Duterte’s health has destabilized or changed in a way that would impact his legal rights.

Criteria for fitness to stand trial

Pursuant to Rule 135 of the ICC’s Rules of Procedure and Evidence, the medical panel will evaluate whether the former president possesses the capacities required to ensure a fair trial.

 Specifically, the experts will assess Duterte’s ability to understand the nature and details of the charges against him, closely follow court proceedings and understand the evidence presented, communicate meaningfully with his legal defense team, and exercise his fair trial rights under international law.

Furthermore, the panel is tasked with assessing whether Duterte is physically and psychologically capable of sustaining full-time trial proceedings. If necessary, they will recommend specific accommodations, scheduling limits, or special measures to facilitate his involvement.

The court explicitly clarified that this order does not constitute a finding that Duterte is unfit to stand trial . Rather, it functions as a routine, precautionary measure to guarantee a legally sound and objective process before the trial opens.

The judges have instituted strict guidelines to preserve the absolute impartiality of the evaluation:

  1. No Contact: All participating parties—including the prosecution, defense, and registry—are strictly prohibited from contacting the medical experts without explicit, prior authorization from the Chamber.
  2. Confidentiality: All information used or generated during the medical evaluation must remain strictly confidential.

According to the timeline established by Trial Chamber III, the independent experts are expected to submit their comprehensive report to the Court Registry by Aug. 18, 2026. The Registry will then formally file the findings by Aug. 24, 2026, giving the prosecution and defense until August 31, 2026, to submit their respective observations.

Despite the medical reassessment, the ICC’s broader schedule remains unaffected. Trial proceedings against the former Philippine president are still firmly set to begin on Nov. 30, 2026.

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Duterte lawyers blast ICC prosecutor’s ‘mountain of evidence’ 

by Rhoda Grace Saron
written by Rhoda Grace Saron

FORMER President Rodrigo Duterte’s legal team is fighting to prevent his impending international trial from being buried under what they describe as a “mountain of evidence,” accusing the International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecution of deploying a “quantity over quality” strategy.

In a nine-page public filing dated June 5, 2026, titled “Defence Submissions on the Directions on the Conduct of Proceedings,” the defense formally petitioned Trial Chamber III to enforce strict gatekeeping measures before the trial gets underway.

The defense’s legal move comes in response to an overwhelming wave of discovery from the prosecution, which has already disclosed 5,177 items of evidence, has another 13,284 items currently under review, and plans to call up to 41 witnesses to the stand.

Alleging that the sheer volume is a tactical attempt to overwhelm the proceedings, the defense is demanding that Trial Chamber III judges—Presiding Judge Joanna Korner, Judge Keebong Paek, and Judge Nicolas Guillou—impose firm limits on the number of documents allowed into the official record.

Specifically, the defense targeted the prosecution’s use of Rule 68 of the ICC Rules of Procedure and Evidence, claiming the provision is being utilized as a “backdoor” to introduce bulky, standalone documents without sufficient scrutiny.

To level the playing field, Duterte’s lawyers are demanding a clearer, more rigorous roadmap for each projected prosecution witness, stricter evidentiary gatekeeping, and expanded flexibility for the defense during cross-examinations.

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ICC sets Nov. 30 trial for Duterte; presiding judge orders new medical fitness review

by Rhoda Grace Saron
written by Rhoda Grace Saron

THE TRIAL Chamber III of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has tentatively scheduled the opening of the crimes against humanity trial against former President Rodrigo Duterte for Nov. 30, 2026.

The conditional date was set on Wednesday, May 27, following the tribunal’s first status conference, which tackled pre-trial disclosures, logistical preparations, and scheduling blocks.

However, the late-2026 trial date remains pending as Trial Chamber III Presiding Judge Joanna Korner ordered a fresh reassessment of the 81-year-old former leader’s “fitness to stand trial.”

Judge Korner announced that the panel will instruct the three accredited medical experts who previously evaluated Duterte during the confirmation of charges phase to conduct a comprehensive re-examination.

“These three experts who examined him for the purposes of the confirmation proceedings should be reinstructed to reexamine him… I’d rather wait and see all the reports before we make the decision,” Korner stated, indicating that the court’s final confirmation of the timeline hinges entirely on those forthcoming medical results.

Victims push for swift timeline

The November 30 target was fiercely advocated for by the victims’ legal circle. Paolina Massidda, Principal Counsel of the Office of Public Counsel for Victims, told the chamber that their clients want the trial to begin as soon as humanly possible.

Massidda noted that after consulting with the victims, a late November start is deemed reasonable, warning that pushing the trial back to January 2027 would prolong the agonizing wait for justice too long.

Before the official trial opens, Trial Chamber III—composed of Presiding Judge Korner, Judge Keebong Paek, and Judge Nicolas Guillou—aims to resolve all pending legal matters to ensure a fair and expeditious proceeding. The panel has already scheduled the next consecutive status conferences for June 23 and July 14, 2026.

Video-link testimonies and insider witnesses

The status conference also highlighted logistical debates between the prosecution and the defense, particularly regarding how testimonies will be delivered.

The Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) requested the eventual utilization of video-link testimonies for various witnesses. 

According to prosecutors, allowing remote video testimonies would streamline the presentation of evidence, protect vulnerable individuals, and prevent inconsistencies in statements. The OTP previously disclosed that it plans to present 60 to 70 witnesses, including over 31 high-profile “insider witnesses.”

Duterte’s defense team, however, pushed back against the remote setup, arguing that the massive seven-hour time difference between the Philippines and The Hague poses a significant operational challenge for real-time cross-examinations.

The prosecution clarified that video-link provisions would not be a blanket rule and would only be activated if a witness is physically or logistically incapable of flying to the Netherlands.

Case background

The road to the trial block has moved rapidly since last year. The warrant of arrest against Duterte was initially issued as “Secret” by Pre-Trial Chamber I on March 7, 2025, before being made public on March 11, 2025. 

Duterte was surrendered to the court the following day, making his initial appearance on March 14, 2025.

Following a confirmation of charges hearing in February 2026, Pre-Trial Chamber I unanimously confirmed three counts of crimes against humanity against Duterte on April 23, 2026, officially committing him to trial. The ICC Presidency subsequently formed Trial Chamber III on April 24, 2026, to oversee the remainder of the historic proceedings.

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‘Too Much’: ICC trial judge questions prosecutor’s plan to use 197 Duterte speeches as evidence

by Rhoda Grace Saron
written by Rhoda Grace Saron

A PRESIDING judge of the International Criminal Court (ICC) Trial Chamber III raised concerns over the massive volume of public speeches that prosecutors intend to leverage as evidence against former President Rodrigo Duterte, calling the figure seemingly excessive.

During the historic first status conference for Duterte’s crimes against humanity case, Presiding Judge Joanna Korner openly questioned the strategy of the Office of the Prosecutor (OTP), which has lined up nearly 200 of the former leader’s public addresses.

“197 speeches seem to be, on the face of it, too much, particularly if they would say the same thing. I think you need to consider very carefully whether you need it at all,” Judge Korner told the prosecution team.

Korner emphasized that the three-judge panel aims to streamline the proceedings, stressing the importance of avoiding dense presentations of cumulative or redundant evidence that lacks direct relevance to the specific core charges facing the former president.

Duterte, known for his lengthy and often controversial televised public addresses during his administration’s deadly anti-drug campaign, frequently spoke about his security directives in front of police, military, and local government units. 

The prosecution has long viewed these speeches as critical documentation of state policy.

Responding to the court’s gentle reprimand, ICC Senior Trial Lawyer Julian Nicholls reassured the Chamber that the prosecution has no intention of dragging out the trial phase by presenting every single piece of audio-visual material on record.

Nicholls clarified that the prosecution team will be selective and will not showcase all 197 speeches when the actual trial officially begins.

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Duterte waives right to attend first ICC status conference

by Rhoda Grace Saron
written by Rhoda Grace Saron

FORMER President Rodrigo Duterte has waived his right to physically appear at the first-ever status conference for his crimes against humanity case before the International Criminal Court (ICC), scheduled for May 27, 2026.

The development was confirmed after his legal team, led by British barrister Peter Haynes, KC, submitted Duterte’s signed waiver to ICC Trial Chamber III on Monday, May 25.

The submission complied with a strict deadline set by the tribunal’s three-judge panel, which had provisionally granted the defense’s request to excuse the former president on the condition that a signed, written document be placed on record.

” I, Rodrigo Roa Duterte, respectfully waive my right to appear before the Trial Chamber on 27 May 2026 at 9:30 and, consequently, instruct my lawyers to address the procedural matters listed on the status conference agenda, and any other matter that may be discussed during the hearing,” the one-page waiver read.  

The ICC Trial Chamber III, presided over by Judge Joanna Korner, previously ruled that the mandatory requirement for an accused person to be physically present applies strictly to the actual trial phase. Because status conferences are primarily administrative and organizational in nature, the court allowed the 81-year-old former leader to remain absent.

The May 27 status conference will tackle essential pre-trial logistics, including setting the official commencement date for the actual trial, establishing strict disclosure deadlines for evidence, and determining documentary evidence and the preliminary number of witnesses for the prosecution and the defense.

While the court allowed Duterte to skip this preliminary administrative hearing, it simultaneously upheld an order for his continued detention in The Hague.

In a separate ruling, the Chamber denied a defense motion for interim release, citing that the official confirmation of his charges’ last has heightened the potential risk of flight and obstruction of justice.

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Don’t give up Bato

by Rhoda Grace Saron
written by Rhoda Grace Saron
  • Senator’s wife makes urgent judicial appeal to block ICC ‘surrender’ 

THE WIFE of Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa entered the political fray by appealing to Supreme Court justices to protect her husband from being whisked by government authorities to the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court in The Hague. 

Nancy Dela Rosa posted her statement on Facebook on Monday, May 25, on the heels of the arrest warrant issued by the ICC Trial Chamber III’s against the senator for his role in the deadly drug war launched by former President Rodrigo Duterte. 

In her open letter addressed directly to the country’s judges and legal institutions, she said that complying or surrendering a Filipino citizen to an international tribunal would be an admission of institutional weakness and a severe blow to national sovereignty.

“Granting the people in power permission to voluntarily surrender another Filipino is an admission that you are weak and incapable of handling this case,” Dela Rosa stated. “This is just another case sensationalized only by politics. Please do not waver or give in.”

Dela Rosa emphasized that the judiciary does not have the luxury of time for extended technical debates, claiming that political adversaries are actively closing in on her husband.

Drawing sharp contrasts between past and present administrations, she argued that while the older Duterte administration went to great lengths to bring overseas Filipinos home, the current political establishment is doing the exact opposite.

“If we must learn from the Duterte case, it is that we must not give up another Filipino,” she stressed. “Please do not give up your responsibility for our countrymen. Please fight for our sovereign rights.”

Framing the battle as both a personal struggle for her family and a legal fight for the nation, Dela Rosa rallied the public to amplify her message across digital platforms until it reached the highest offices of the judicial branch.

As of press time, representatives from the Supreme Court and the Department of Justice have not issued an official response to the statement.

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ICC Trial Chamber orders continued custody of PRRD

by Rhoda Grace Saron
written by Rhoda Grace Saron

THE INTERNATIONAL Criminal Court (ICC) Trial Chamber III has ordered that former President Rodrigo Duterte must remain in custody pending trial, rejecting the defense’s plea for interim release based on his advanced age and declining health.

In a unanimous decision issued Friday, May 22, 2026, the three-judge panel consisting of Presiding Judge Joanna Korner, Judge Keebong Paek, and Judge Nicolas Guillou ruled that there is a “real and substantial risk” that the former chief executive could abscond or obstruct justice if released.

The defense team had petitioned for conditional release, arguing that the 81-year-old former president suffers from cognitive impairments and frequent falls due to a loss of balance, which they claimed would prevent him from interfering with legal proceedings or instructing others to tamper with witnesses.

However, the Chamber dismissed these assertions, citing evaluations by three court-appointed medical experts whose findings did not warrant a modification of his detention.

“The accused could nevertheless abscond or obstruct justice,” the Chamber noted in its decision. “The accused’s physical condition and cognitive capacities referred to by the Defense do not constitute factors which outweigh the risks outlined above.”

The judges also highlighted that the formal confirmation of charges against Duterte on April 23, 2026, has legally heightened his flight risk. Furthermore, the court pointed to Duterte’s explicit refusal to recognize the ICC’s jurisdiction as evidence that he would unlikely comply with court-ordered release conditions, especially given his “access to vast resources and contacts” in the Philippines.

“The Chamber therefore finds no notable change in circumstances that warrants the release of the Accused, with or without conditions,” the ruling concluded.

Duterte remains detained in The Hague ahead of the case’s first status conference scheduled for May 27, 2026.

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