THE REGISTRY of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has reported that at least 16 previously admitted participating victims fall outside the current scope of charges against former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte.
In its latest report, dated Oct. 29, 2026, submitted to Trial Chamber III—presided over by Judge Joanna Korner alongside Judges Keebong Paek and Nicolas Guillou—the Registry outlined the specific temporal and geographic parameters governing victim participation in the case.
According to the Registry, the trial’s parameters are restricted to three specific categories:
- Alleged murders committed in Davao City from 2013 to around June 2016.
- Alleged murders of “high-value targets” nationwide from around July 2016 to July 2017.
- Alleged murders and attempted murders during nationwide barangay clearance operations from around July 2016 to September 2018.
The Registry noted that 13 applications covering 16 victims fall outside these parameters based on its current understanding of the charges.
While submitting 46 applications assessed as clearly qualifying for participation, the Registry referred four complex applications to the judges for specific legal guidance.
Among the key procedural questions submitted for judicial determination are whether killings committed in June 2016 fall under the phrase “around July 2016,” and whether a missing person can be presumed dead without formal proof of death.
The judges were also asked to rule on whether a neighbor who heard gunshots without witnessing the killing qualifies as an indirect victim and if a child born years after a killing can qualify due to ongoing harm to the family.
The Registry acknowledged that overall victim applications remain below original projections, citing limited staffing, constraints in funding, and restricted capacity on the ground to assist applicants as primary factors.
