THE INTERNATIONAL Criminal Court (ICC) Appeals Chamber has set the timeline and conduct for the appeal filed by former President Rodrigo Duterte regarding his ongoing detention.
In a public document released on Jan. 29, 2026, the Appeals Chamber, presided over by Judge Luz del Carmen Ibáñez Carranza, ruled that the current appeal will proceed exclusively through written submissions, effectively bypassing oral hearings.
The court also directed Duterte’s defense team to file the appeal brief by Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026.
Meanwhile, the deputy prosecutor and the legal representatives of the Victims are given until Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026, to file their respective responses.
In a move to streamline the process, the Appeals Chamber has limited all submissions to a maximum of 20 pages each.
The proceedings follow a Jan. 26, 2026, decision by Pre-Trial Chamber I, which reviewed Duterte’s detention status.
Duterte is challenging that specific ruling, leading to this current intervention by the Appeals Chamber.
The chamber—composed of Judges Ibáñez Carranza, Tomoko Akane, Solomy Balungi Bossa, Gocha Lordkipanidze, and Erdenebalsuren Damdin —emphasized that “specific circumstances of the present case” make written-only submissions appropriate at this stage.
The ICC is investigating alleged crimes against humanity committed during the previous administration’s deadly “war on drugs.” The former has been in detention since March of last year.
