Rowegie Abanto

Former President Rodrigo Duterte. ICC handout/File

Mr Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s initial appearance took place on Friday, 14 March 2025, at 14:00 hours (The Hague local time), before Pre-Trial Chamber I of the International Criminal Court ("ICC" or "Court").

Article (news)

Initial appearance of Mr Rodrigo Roa Duterte

Zen Hernandez

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3xuYAxtaecs??si=8fSVMa5P77VXbEQMautoplay=1&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></div><p>MANILA (<strong>3rd UPDATE</strong>) — The Appeals Chamber of the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Friday rejected the appeal of former President Rodrigo Duterte for a conditional release.</p><p>The Pre-Trial Chamber I of the ICC, in September, citing <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/10/10/icc-rejects-duterte-s-interim-release-plea-1714">several grounds</a>, dismissed the Duterte camp&#x27;s request for an interim release, ruling that he should remain in detention at The Hague in the Netherlands.</p><p>That decision was upheld by the Appeals Chamber on Friday in a judgment read in open court by Presiding Judge Luz Del Carmen Ibáñez Carranza.</p><p>The Appeals Chamber rejected all three grounds of appeal made by the Duterte defense team in relation to his interim release bid, Ibáñez Carranza said, noting that the decision was unanimous among the five members of the chamber.</p><p>The Duterte family, in a statement, said they accept the ruling &quot;with peaceful hearts.&quot;</p><p>&quot;We will continue to work with the defense team on the case and will keep supporting Former President Rodrigo Duterte with our daily conversations. We thank everyone who prayed with us today,&quot; it said.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/11/28/rights-groups-hail-icc-chamber-decision-rejecting-duterte-s-interim-release-1855">Rights groups hail ICC chamber decision rejecting Duterte’s interim release</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>WHAT WERE THE 3 GROUNDS OF APPEAL?</strong></div><p>Duterte&#x27;s legal team argued the following grounds:</p><ol style="list-style-type:lower-roman"><li>The Pre-Trial Chamber erroneously found that Duterte poses a risk under Article 58(1)(b) of the Rome Statute</li><li>The Pre-Trial Chamber erred in its rejection of the guarantees proposed by the State willing to receive him</li><li>The Pre-Trial Chamber erred in law by failing to take into account humanitarian considerations in assessing the right to interim release.</li></ol><p>&quot;After examining the arguments raised in the appeal brief, the Appeals Chamber found that the Defence failed to identify errors in the Pre-Trial Chamber&#x27;s reasoning or to demonstrate that the Pre-Trial Chamber&#x27;s conclusions were unreasonable,&quot; the ICC, in a separate news release, said.</p><p>The ICC Office of the Prosecutor, meanwhile, said it would continue preparing for Duterte&#x27;s confirmation of charges hearing, which was postponed indefinitely following a request from Duterte, whose team claimed he is not fit to stand trial.</p><p>In the confirmation of charges hearing, judges examine if there is enough evidence for the case to go to trial.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>DUTERTE LAWYER SAYS TO APPLY ANEW FOR INTERIM RELEASE</strong></div><p>Lawyer Nicholas Kaufman appeared before the court to represent Duterte, who <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/11/28/duterte-to-skip-november-28-icc-hearing-on-interim-release-0624">skipped the hearing</a> after waiving his right to personally appear. </p><p>In a statement, Kaufman noted that the ICC Appeals Chamber had never affirmed the interim release of a person charged with crimes against humanity. </p><p>He said the defense, which is awaiting the results of the medical evaluation on the former president due next month, would reintroduce its interim release plea for Duterte, &quot;who is 80 years old and, as a result of debilitating physical conditions and cognitive issues, is incapable of flight or, as alleged, threats to witnesses.&quot;</p><p>In an earlier statement, Kaufman said the defense <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/11/27/duterte-stoically-awaiting-icc-ruling-on-appeal-for-interim-release-lawyer-says-1653">could still raise the issue</a> periodically under ICC Rule 118, which requires the Pre-Trial Chamber to review a detainee&#x27;s status every 120 days and hold at least one hearing per year.</p><p>But Gilbert Andres, an ICC-listed lawyer, said drug war victims would continue opposing any fresh attempts by Duterte to get a provisional release.</p><p>The Pre-Trial Chamber I of the ICC announced on November 14 that it had already chosen the medical experts who would assess whether Duterte is fit to stand trial.</p><p>The doctors must submit their medical report on Duterte&#x27;s health by December 5, it said.</p><p>Palace Press Officer Claire Castro, in reaction to the decision, said: &quot;The International Criminal Court has already made its decision, and the Palace respects it.&quot; </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/11/28/what-to-know-ahead-of-icc-decision-on-duterte-appeal-for-interim-release-0625">ICC delivers judgment on Duterte&#x27;s appeal for interim release: Where to watch, other facts</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>PRE-TRIAL CHAMBER I DECISION</strong></div><p>To recall, the Pre-Trial Chamber I of the ICC <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/10/10/icc-rejects-duterte-s-interim-release-plea-1714">in September rejected the Duterte camp&#x27;s request for an interim release</a>, saying his continued detention is necessary to ensure his appearance at the looming trial.</p><p>Duterte obstructing or endangering the investigation remained at the time and that a temporary liberty could pose a threat to potential witnesses, the chamber said.</p><p>It also cited the &quot;kidnapping&quot; claims of Duterte&#x27;s family when he was arrested in March, saying it illustrated Duterte&#x27;s &quot;rejection of the proceedings against him before the Court, and the will of his close family to help him elude detention and prosecution.&quot;</p><p>Duterte initially applied for interim release on June 12, but his team later sought to postpone the hearing. His camp revived the application in August, prompting objections from prosecutors and representatives of drug war victims.</p><p>Duterte has been detained at the Scheveningen Prison in The Hague, the Netherlands, for nearly nine months now, after the Marcos government arrested and surrendered him to the ICC in March for alleged crimes against humanity of murder linked to his bloody war on drugs and the alleged Davao Death Squad.</p><p>The Philippine government officially recognizes more than 6,000 killings during Duterte&#x27;s drug war, but human rights groups say the toll could be as high as 30,000.</p><div><strong>WATCH</strong><strong></strong><em></em><br/></div><div><em><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/uyt7dsXXA1k?&amp;t=330s&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></em><br/></div>

<p>The Appeals Chamber of the International Criminal Court on Friday rejected the appeal of detained former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte for a conditional release.</p>

The Appeals Chamber of the International Criminal Court on Friday rejected the appeal of detained former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte for a conditional release.

ICC appeals chamber rejects Duterte's interim release bid

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ICC appeals chamber rejects Duterte's interim release bid

Rowegie Abanto,

Zen Hernandez,

ABS-CBN News

Published Nov 28, 2025 06:17 PM PHT

|

Updated Dec 05, 2025 03:04 PM PHT

Read More:

International Criminal Court

ICC Appeals Chamber

Rodrigo Duterte

Interim Release

ICC

War on Drugs

Crimes Against Humanity

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