MANILA — Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is expected to appear in person at the International Criminal Court (ICC) for the confirmation of charges hearing, with the tribunal introducing special measures to accommodate his health.
ICC-accredited counsel Kristina Conti said the four-day hearing, scheduled from Feb. 23–24 and Feb. 26–27 at ICC headquarters in The Hague, Netherlands, will run for only three hours per day, with long breaks between sessions and a full-day recess on Feb. 25. The adjustments were made considering Duterte’s statements that he cannot sit or stand for long periods.
“If he waives his appearance, that’s his right under the Rome Statute,” Conti noted, adding that lawyers assisting drug war victims expect him to attend in person. She also emphasized that this will be Duterte’s first opportunity to appear before Pre-Trial Chamber I since his arrest in March last year and his continued detention at the Scheveningen prison complex.
“It is the right of the accused to be present and to contest the charges against him. That is precisely the focus of the issue on fitness to stand trial,” Conti said.
Duterte’s defense team, led by Nicholas Kaufman, recently filed a “request for leave to appeal” regarding the chamber’s findings on his fitness to stand trial. The defense argues that Duterte has faced “extraordinary injustice” at every stage of the proceedings, citing alleged restrictions on access to medical records, limitations on neuropsychological examinations, and irregularities in the appointment of medical experts.
Last week, Pre-Trial Chamber I ruled that Duterte is “able to exercise his procedural rights and is therefore fit to take part in the pre-trial proceedings.” The upcoming hearing will allow the former president and his legal team to formally respond to the charges.