Jamaine Punzalan

Article (news)

Zen Hernandez

ABS-CBN News

Agence France-Presse

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1777369023226AFP__20250314__372B2JW__v1__MidRes__NetherlandsPhilippinesJustice.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="A man holds a portrait of former Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte in front of the International Criminal Court (ICC) where he will be appearing, in The Hague on March 14, 2025. Nicolas Tucat, AFP/File" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">A man holds a portrait of former Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte in front of the International Criminal Court (ICC) where he will be appearing, in The Hague on March 14, 2025. <em>Nicolas Tucat, AFP/File</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — The International Criminal Court (ICC) has constituted the Trial Chamber in the case against former President Rodrigo Duterte. </p><p>This moves the proceedings to the trial phase, after Pre-Trial Chamber I confirmed all three counts of crimes against humanity against him on April 23.</p><p>In a decision dated April 24, 2026, the Presidency, composed of ICC President Tomoko Akane, First Vice-President Rosario Salvatore Aitala, and Second Vice-President Reine Alapini-Gansou, named the following judges to compose Trial Chamber III:</p><p>-- Joanna Korner (United Kingdom)</p><p>-- Keebong Paek (Republic of Korea)</p><p>-- Nicolas Guillou (France)</p><p>&quot;NOTING article 61(11) of the Statute, pursuant to which the Presidency shall constitute a Trial Chamber once the charges have been confirmed, which shall be responsible for the conduct of subsequent proceedings,&quot; the decision read.</p><p>The Presidency also &quot;DECIDES to refer the case of The Prosecutor v. Rodrigo Roa Duterte to Trial Chamber III;&quot; formally transferring jurisdiction over the next phase of proceedings.</p><p>The ICC last week announced that pre-trial judges &quot;unanimously&quot; confirmed crimes against humanity charges tied to Duterte&#x27;s war on drugs between November 1, 2011 and March 16, 2019, covering his time as Davao City mayor and later as president.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/4/23/icc-confirms-all-charges-vs-duterte-commits-him-to-trial-1649">READ: Duterte to face ICC trial after judges confirm charges</a></div><p>The Presidency ordered the ICC Registrar to transmit the full record of proceedings, including the confirmation decision, to the newly constituted chamber.</p><p>It said the composition of the chamber was guided by the need to ensure &quot;efficient management of the Court&#x27;s workload,&quot; taking into account &quot;the experience and expertise of each judge,&quot; as well as the need to expedite proceedings and balance judicial assignments.</p><p>&quot;CONSIDERING the current and anticipated overall judicial workload of the Court and the necessity to ensure sound management of the same, the need to expedite proceedings, the workload and individual concerns of the respective judges, particularly those assigned to the Trial Division, their previous involvement in cases, as well as the experience and expertise of each judge,&quot; the decision stated.</p><p>With the chamber now in place, the case formally enters the trial stage, where judges will oversee proceedings, rule on evidence, and ultimately determine guilt or innocence.</p><p>Duterte, 81, will be the first Asian former head of state to face trial at the ICC, which prosecutes individuals for the world&#x27;s worst crimes such as war crimes and crimes against humanity.</p><p>Duterte&#x27;s lead counsel Nicholas Kaufman previously lamented how the credibility of the witnesses was never assessed at confirmation.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/4/22/kaufman-icc-jurisdiction-decision-on-big-catch-duterte-was-expected-2151">READ: ICC jurisdiction decision on ‘big catch’ Duterte was expected -- Kaufman</a></div><p>&quot;The Pre Trial Chamber found that the crucial word &#x27;neutralise&#x27;, used to define a so-called State or organisational policy, was understood by those involved in the operations to mean to &#x27;kill&#x27;. This is hardly surprising when the whole of the Prosecution&#x27;s case, as pasted into the concluding paragraphs of the Pre-Trial Chamber&#x27;s decision, is based on the uncorroborated statements of vicious self-confessed murderers acting as cooperating witnesses,&quot; he said.</p><p>&quot;At trial, the Defence will prove that the aforementioned &#x27;State policy&#x27; is a complete fiction. The Defence will also show that the evidence of very same criminal witnesses, so gleefully peddled by the former President&#x27;s many detractors, has zero weight,&quot; he added. </p><p>The only time Duterte has been seen since his arrest and transfer to The Hague was at an initial appearance via videolink in March 2025.</p><p>The Rome Statute, however, requires the presence of the accused during trial.</p><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><br style="caret-color:rgb(0, 0, 0);color:rgb(0, 0, 0)"/></div>

<p>The International Criminal Court (ICC) has constituted the Trial Chamber in the case against former President Rodrigo Duterte.</p>

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has constituted the Trial Chamber in the case against former President Rodrigo Duterte.

ICC constitutes trial chamber for Rodrigo Duterte case

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ICC constitutes trial chamber for Rodrigo Duterte case

Zen Hernandez,

ABS-CBN News,

Agence France-Presse

Published April 28, 2026 04:21 PM PHT

|

Updated April 28, 2026 05:37 PM PHT

Read More:

ICC

Rodrigo Duterte

war on drugs

crimes against humanity

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