Joselito Malig

Article (news)

Kaxandra Salonga

ABS-CBN News

(UPDATED) The International Criminal Court (ICC) has rejected the bid of former President Rodrigo Duterte’s camp to appeal a previous ruling that declared him mentally and physically fit to face pre-trial proceedings.In a decision dated Feb. 13, the Pre-Trial Chamber I dismissed the grounds raised by Duterte’s counsel, who argued that the court ignored clinical evidence regarding the former leader&#x27;s &quot;cognitive depreciation&quot; and &quot;memory impairment&quot;.The Chamber stood by its January 26 decision, which concluded that Duterte is capable of understanding the charges and exercising his procedural rights.The defense, led by Nicholas Kaufman, earlier argued that the Chamber’s reliance on an independent panel of three medical experts, rather than the medical reports it submitted, showed that it disregarded their experts’ opinions without explanation.However, the Chamber clarified that it prioritized reports from neutral sources.&quot;The Chamber&#x27;s reason not to rely on the Defence&#x27;s medical reports was to ensure that only information emanating from impartial and neutral sources was taken into consideration in order to ultimately ensure the fairness of the proceedings,&quot; the decision penned by Judge Iulia Motoc read.The court further noted that the independent experts did review the defense’s medical submissions before reaching their conclusions, contrary to the Duterte camp&#x27;s earlier claim.<div>NO NEED FOR FORENSIC HEARING</div>The court also rejected the Defense’s demand for a forensic hearing to cross-examine the medical panel. Duterte’s counsel earlier argued the hearing was necessary due to &quot;radically differing individual opinions&quot; among the experts regarding the degree of Duterte’s cognitive issues.In response, the Chamber said the defense failed to prove any significant inconsistency that would undermine the joint conclusion that the former president is fit to proceed.It added that the judges issued “clear and exhaustive instructions” to guide the experts in determining legal fitness.The court also dismissed as “speculative” the defense’s claim that Duterte’s memory will continue to deteriorate as trial approaches.&quot;The 26 January 2026 Decision does not prejudge Mr Duterte&#x27;s fitness to stand trial and... does not preclude any competent chamber of the Court to revisit the issue should the need arise,&quot; the Chamber noted.The Office of the Prosecutor and the Common Legal Representatives of Victims earlier urged the court to reject the appeal, arguing it would only delay the proceedings.Duterte was arrested on March 11  on his arrival from Hong Kong at the request of the ICC as part of its probe into his &quot;war on drugs&quot; that defined his presidency.The ICC warrant for Duterte&#x27;s arrest said that as president, Duterte allegedly created, funded, and armed death squads that carried out murders of purported drug users and dealers.He was brought to The Hague in the Netherlands on the same day he was arrested.Duterte on March 14, 2025 appeared via video link before ICC judges. Duterte’s confirmation of charges hearing, which was supposed to be held last September 23, was postponed to a later date, citing a request from Duterte&#x27;s defense team.The ICC Pre-Trial Chamber has rejected the request of Duterte&#x27;s defense team for his interim release.The chamber has scheduled the confirmation of charges hearing for Duterte to take place from February 23 to 27, 2026, at The Hague, Netherlands. <div> </div><div><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qXBleBgGKkA??si=T8ugffvJKF_4-Cpa&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe> </div>

The Pre-Trial Chamber I of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has rejected the request of former President Rodrigo Duterte's defense team to appeal the decision finding him fit to take part in pre-trial proceedings.

The Pre-Trial Chamber I of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has rejected the request of former President Rodrigo Duterte's defense team to appeal the decision finding him fit to take part in pre-trial proceedings.

ICC rejects Duterte’s bid to appeal fitness ruling

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ICC rejects Duterte’s bid to appeal fitness ruling

Kaxandra Salonga,

Jojo Pasion Malig,

ABS-CBN News

Published February 13, 2026 07:15 PM PHT

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Updated February 13, 2026 07:58 PM PHT

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ICC

Rodrigo Duterte

war on drugs

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