THE INTERNATIONAL Criminal Court’s (ICC) Trial Chamber III has finalized a five-point agenda for the upcoming second status conference in the case against former President Rodrigo Duterte, signaling steady procedural momentum ahead of the trial phase.
In a public order issued on June 18, 2026, the three-judge panel—led by Presiding Judge Joanna Korner, alongside Judges Keebong Paek and Nicolas Guillou—decreed that the court will sit for a two-hour session on June 23, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. (The Hague time).
According to the court order, the bench will address the following key administrative issues:
- Expert Panel Observations: Setting concrete deadlines for all parties to submit their observations regarding upcoming Expert Panel Report(s).
- Confidentiality Protocols: The formal adoption of a strict protocol governing how sensitive and confidential information will be handled during the proceedings.
- Prosecution Word Limits: Establishing the exact page limit parameters for the Prosecution’s formal Trial Brief.
- Post-Recess Calendar: Finalizing specific dates for subsequent status conferences following the court’s upcoming judicial recess.
- Counsel Conduct: Addressing parameters and ongoing issues surrounding public statements made to the media and public by legal counsel.
The development follows a preliminary invitation extended by the Chamber on June 12, asking the Prosecution, Defense, and Court Registry to pitch specific discussion items.
On June 17, the Prosecution transmitted its list of suggested topics, while Duterte’s defense team and the Registry both indicated they had no items to suggest.
The upcoming session follows the case’s initial status conference held on May 27, 2026.
While Trial Chamber III reiterated that the proceedings on June 23 will be conducted publicly, the judges maintained that the court reserves the right to immediately pivot into a closed, private session to avoid the disclosure of sensitive information regarding witness protection and critical security matters.
