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.
