Marilyn Cahatol

Article (news)

Jonathan Magistrado

ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA — The International Criminal Court (ICC) has taken steps to advance the case against former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte.</p><p>On November 14, 2025, the ICC&#x27;s Pre-Trial Chamber I announced that it had finally chosen the doctors who would assess whether Mr. Duterte is fit to stand trial.</p><p>This decision follows weeks of discussions regarding the appointment of medical experts.</p><div> </div><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display:flex;max-width:550px;width:100%;margin-top:10px;margin-bottom:10px;text-align:center"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" style="position:static;visibility:visible;width:550px;height:647px;display:block;flex-grow:1" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-0&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1989430254910542138&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com%2F%23%2Fworkspace%2Fmonitoring%3Fitem%3Durn%3Anewsml%3Aod2-workbench-api.abs-cbn.com%3A2025-11-15T00%3A03%3A40.735838%3Aca68fad3-0c25-46d0-b3dd-9519920ceb37%26action%3Dedit&amp;sessionId=e915d1b6323601f3595c03b740655bf095ed7f2e&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&amp;width=550px" data-tweet-id="1989430254910542138"></iframe></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8"></script><div><br/></div><div><strong>NEW DEADLINE SET</strong></div><p>The court has given the team of doctors a strict and fast deadline.</p><p>The doctors must give the court their medical report on Duterte&#x27;s fitness to stand trial by December 5.</p><p>&quot;Noting inter alia [among other things] the availability of the experts composing the Panel, the time limit for the Registry to file the joint or individual reports of the Panel, originally set out at paragraph 23 of the Appointment Decision and subsequently extended to 5 December 2025 pursuant to the 17 October 2025 Decision, remains unchanged.&quot;</p><p>Duterte&#x27;s lawyers, the prosecution, and the victims must then file their comments on the report by December 12, 2025.</p><p>The assessment is a critical step, as Duterte’s confirmation of charges hearing was indefinitely postponed on September 8 after his legal team requested an adjournment, claiming he suffered from cognitive decline that rendered him unfit for trial.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/11/15/duterte-lawyers-ask-icc-to-end-case-demand-immediate-release-0804"><strong>Duterte lawyers ask ICC to end case, demand immediate release</strong></a></div><div> </div><div><strong>TROUBLE WITH DOCTORS</strong></div><p>The process of selecting the experts has been challenging and fraught with delays.</p><p><strong>First doctor removed:</strong> The neuropsychologist was quickly challenged by Duterte’s defense team. The expert reportedly failed to inform the ICC Registry of her suspension from her practice for serious issues, including sharing private patient information.</p><p><strong>Second doctor challenged: </strong>The second specialist chosen to replace the first brain specialist was also challenged. The defense showed the court &quot;very offensive remarks&quot; the doctor had posted on social media, arguing this proved he was not fit to be a court expert.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/11/11/victims-counsel-defers-to-icc-discretion-on-duterte-defense-plea-to-disqualify-key-expert-0707"><strong>Victims&#x27; counsel defers to ICC discretion on Duterte defense plea to disqualify key expert</strong></a></div><p>The defense also said that the doctor &quot;&quot;has significantly less experience than the other experts proffered by the Registry in its updated shortlist and is not available until later than the other experts.&quot;</p><p>These problems caused the ICC’s prosecution office to demand that the court use a &quot;stricter checking process&quot; when selecting experts in the future.</p><p>Duterte was arrested on March 11, upon arrival from Hong Kong and was immediately transferred to The Hague, Netherlands, on an ICC warrant</p><p> He is currently in ICC custody and faces a crime against humanity of murder charge allegedly committed in the Philippines between November 2011 and March 2019, in connection with his administration&#x27;s war on drugs.</p><p>The Pre-Trial Chamber I has repeatedly rejected the Defense team&#x27;s requests for his interim release on health and humanitarian grounds.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/11/11/doj-says-yet-to-receive-rumored-icc-arrest-warrant-vs-bato-0907"><strong>Surrendering Bato to ICC also an option aside from &#x27;longer&#x27; extradition: DOJ</strong></a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><div style="text-align:center"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NGKPEKynG7Y?si=BJ3YQCZSBlSLmOCw" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><br/></div>

<p>On November 14, 2025, the ICC's Pre-Trial Chamber I announced that it had finally chosen the doctors who would assess whether Mr. Duterte is fit to stand trial. This decision follows weeks of discussions regarding the appointment of medical experts.</p>

On November 14, 2025, the ICC's Pre-Trial Chamber I announced that it had finally chosen the doctors who would assess whether Mr. Duterte is fit to stand trial. This decision follows weeks of discussions regarding the appointment of medical experts.

ICC puts Duterte's fitness test back on track with December deadline

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ICC puts Duterte's fitness test back on track with December deadline

Jonathan Magistrado,

ABS-CBN News

Published Nov 15, 2025 08:45 AM PHT

|

Updated Nov 15, 2025 10:28 AM PHT

Read More:

The Hague

ICC

Rodrigo Duterte

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