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.”
