Geline Salac

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Duterte ICC

ABS-CBN News

<div><br/></div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17703398939561770339889844.png" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/></div><p>MANILA — The lawyers of former President Rodrigo Duterte cited his &quot;enfeebled physical state&quot; in a brief to support his <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/1/29/duterte-team-appeals-icc-ruling-on-trial-fitness-1123">appeal</a> against the decision of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to maintain his pre-trial detention. </p><p>Duterte&#x27;s legal team argued that the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I &quot;committed substantial errors of fact and of law&quot; when it declined to consider a joint medical report that &quot;addressed Mr Duterte’s cognitive impairments in multiple domains.&quot;&quot; </p><p>&quot;The Experts found Mr Duterte incapable of planning or sequencing his daily activity, let alone capable of organizing and executing a complex getaway while under strict supervision,&quot; the brief stated. </p><p>&quot;The Medical Report detailed Mr Duterte’s lack of executive functioning, sustained planning capacity, and rapid decision-making – to say nothing of his enfeebled physical state – that would make it impossible for him to evade custody,&quot; it added. </p><p>It said the same report found Duterte &quot;incapable of exercising the sustained attention, initiative, and organisational capacity necessary to endanger the legal proceedings or to commit further similar crimes.&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/7O18LRIobhE?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><p>The defense alleged that the Pre-Trial Chamber &quot;adopted a capricious attitude to its assessment of Mr Duterte’s cognitive condition.&quot;&#x27;</p><p>They said the chamber &quot;ironically&quot; relied a report from a court-appointed panel regarding Duterte’s fitness to stand trial but refused to consider the defense&#x27;s medical evidence regarding his release.</p><p>&quot;The summary dismissal of the Medical Report undermines the fairness of the proceedings and deprives the Defence of a reasoned determination on a potentially relevant new circumstance,&quot; Duterte&#x27;s legal team said. </p><p>&quot;Evidence cannot be rendered inadmissible merely by virtue of the identity of its submitting party,&quot; the filing asserts, calling the court’s logic &quot;legally unsound.&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/Gwgf4PTlimc?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>The lawyers of former President Rodrigo Duterte cited his "enfeebled physical state" in a brief to support his <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/1/29/duterte-team-appeals-icc-ruling-on-trial-fitness-1123">appeal</a> against the decision of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to maintain his pre-trial detention.</p>

The lawyers of former President Rodrigo Duterte cited his "enfeebled physical state" in a brief to support his appeal against the decision of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to maintain his pre-trial detention.

Defense pushes appeal for Duterte's release, citing 'enfeebled' state

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Defense pushes appeal for Duterte's release, citing 'enfeebled' state

ABS-CBN News

Published Feb 06, 2026 07:21 AM PHT

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Updated Feb 06, 2026 09:23 AM PHT

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rodrigo duterte

international criminal court

the hague

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