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Initial appearance of Mr Rodrigo Roa Duterte

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").

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Bea Cuadra

ABS-CBN News

<div><br/></div><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display:flex;max-width:550px;width:100%;margin-top:10px;margin-bottom:10px"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" 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=2016561258460536908&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%3A2026-01-28T23%3A07%3A24.839781%3A86ae8ef4-325d-47ac-8b86-a8b465212ceb%26action%3Dedit&amp;sessionId=c5dc5cf5d0af94b512d019b7f2bcbe10e5f4ad5f&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&amp;width=550px" style="position:static;visibility:visible;width:550px;height:783px;display:block;flex-grow:1" data-tweet-id="2016561258460536908"></iframe></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8"></script><div><br/></div><p>The International Criminal Court (ICC) has formally scheduled the confirmation of charges hearing for former Philippine President Rodrigo Roa Duterte to begin on February 23, 2026.</p><p>The announcement follows a ruling by Pre-Trial Chamber I, which found Mr. Duterte fit to participate in the proceedings after a period of medical evaluation. According to the Court, the primary objective is to &quot;determine whether there is sufficient evidence to establish substantial grounds to believe that the person committed each of the crimes charged.&quot;</p><p>If the judges confirm at least one of the charges, the case will be elevated to a Trial Chamber. “If one or more of the charges are confirmed, the case will be transferred to a Trial Chamber, which will conduct the subsequent phase of the proceedings: the trial.&quot;</p><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/E8-CG-Bv2w8?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><p>Mr. Duterte is currently suspected of crimes against humanity—specifically murder and attempted murder—allegedly committed between November 2011 and March 2019 during the Philippines’ &quot;war on drugs&quot; campaign.</p><p>The decision to proceed follows an earlier postponement in September 2025, which allowed the Court to adjudicate a &quot;Defence’s Adjournment Request concerning Mr. Duterte’s fitness to participate.&quot; On January 26, 2026, the Chamber concluded that Mr. Duterte is fit to take part, provided that specific health-related accommodations are met.</p><p>These measures, recommended by the Detention Centre’s Medical Officer and a panel of experts, include:</p><ol><li>Limited Hours: Hearings will last no more than three hours per day.</li><li>Frequent Breaks: Sessions will pause for a break every hour.</li><li>Mid-week Rest: The schedule is limited to four days per week, with a mandatory break in the middle of the week.</li></ol><p>The Registry of the Court has been ordered to ensure these &quot;special measures and adjustments needed to facilitate Mr. Duterte’s participation&quot; are strictly maintained throughout the sessions scheduled for February 23, 24, 26, and 27.</p><p>The case against the former president has moved through several high-stakes phases over the past year. It began on March 7, 2025, when a warrant for Mr. Duterte’s arrest was issued under &quot;Secret&quot; status, a move that remained confidential until it was reclassified as public days later. Shortly after, on March 12, 2025, Mr. Duterte was surrendered to the ICC following his arrest by Philippine authorities. By March 14, 2025, the legal process moved into the courtroom as the former leader made his initial appearance before the Court to begin the pre-trial proceedings.</p><p>The proceedings will be overseen by Presiding Judge Iulia Antoanella Motoc, alongside Judges Reine Adélaïde Sophie Alapini-Gansou and María del Socorro Flores Liera. During the sessions, the Prosecution, the Defence, and the Legal Representatives of Victims will present their oral arguments on the merits of the case.</p><p>For the general public, the ICC will provide a webstream of the hearing on its official website, Facebook, and YouTube channels, operating on a 30-minute delay.</p>

<p>The International Criminal Court (ICC) has formally scheduled the confirmation of charges hearing for former Philippine President Rodrigo Roa Duterte to begin on February 23, 2026.</p>

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has formally scheduled the confirmation of charges hearing for former Philippine President Rodrigo Roa Duterte to begin on February 23, 2026.

ICC to hear war on drugs charges against Duterte next month

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ICC to hear war on drugs charges against Duterte next month

Bea Cuadra,

ABS-CBN News

Published Jan 29, 2026 07:17 AM PHT

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