Rodrigo Roa Duterte appearing for the first time before the ICC judges on 14 March 2025 ©ICC-CPI
THE HAGUE: Filipino lawyer and politician Rodrigo Roa Duterte, who served as the 16th president of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022, today made his first appearance before the International Criminal Court (ICC).
He is under suspicion for committing crimes against humanity, specifically murder, in the Philippines during the period from November 1, 2011, to March 16, 2019.
Duterte participated in the hearing through a video link from the ICC Detention Centre, as permitted by the Chamber. The hearing included the presence of the ICC Prosecutor and the Defence, with Duterte being represented by Salvador C. Medialdea and receiving assistance from the Office of Public Counsel for the Defence.
The Chamber provisionally scheduled the confirmation of charges hearing to begin on 23 September 2025. This procedure aims to assess whether there is adequate evidence to substantiate the claims against Duterte. Should the charges be confirmed, either in full or in part, the case will be forwarded to a Trial Chamber, which will oversee the next stage of the legal process: the trial.
On February 10, 2025, the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) sought an arrest warrant for Duterte, citing crimes against humanity, including murder, torture, and rape. The Chamber reviewed the evidence presented by the Prosecution and determined that there were reasonable grounds to believe that Duterte bears individual responsibility as an indirect co-perpetrator for the crime against humanity of murder, which is alleged to have occurred in the Philippines between November 1, 2011, and March 16, 2019.
The arrest warrant for Duterte was initially issued as “Secret” by the Chamber on March 7, 2025, and was later reclassified as “Public” on March 11, 2025. Following this, on March 12, 2025, Duterte was surrendered to the International Criminal Court after being apprehended by Philippine authorities in compliance with the arrest warrant. He is presently in custody at the ICC. The Philippines has been a State Party to the ICC since November 1, 2011, but submitted a formal notification of withdrawal from the Statute on March 17, 2018. According to Article 127 of the Statute, this withdrawal became effective on March 17, 2019. However, the ICC maintains jurisdiction over crimes allegedly committed in the Philippines during the period when the country was a State Party to the Statute.
– global bihari bureau
