Rodrigo Duterte, the former President of the Philippines, made his first in-person appearance at the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Wednesday during a pre-trial session. He is facing charges of crimes against humanity due to hundreds of killings related to the 'war on drugs' during his presidency.
Charges and Duterte's Status
Duterte, who served as President of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022, has denied these charges and had missed several court sessions prior to this one due to health issues. He had participated in court sessions via video since March 2025 due to his arrest. Duterte's legal team has claimed that he suffers from serious health problems, but the court judges decided in January that he is fit to continue the proceedings and ordered his presence in court.
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Duterte's Health Status and Ability to Defend
Duterte's lawyers stated that he suffers from serious memory impairments that hinder his ability to retain new information and reliably access his memories. Meanwhile, prosecutors argued that Duterte is capable of meaningfully exercising his procedural rights and is fit for trial. This comes as Duterte is accused of crimes against humanity, with investigations indicating that he was responsible for a systematic campaign that led to the deaths of at least 30,000 people, many of whom were killed during 'anti-drug' operations.
Duterte is being prosecuted for crimes committed between 2011 and 2019, initially during his mayorship in Davao City and then as President of the Philippines. His trial is scheduled for November of this year, and at the pre-trial session on Wednesday, judges are expected to hear arguments regarding his health status and decide whether he is mentally competent to stand trial.
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