An independent medical panel appointed by the International Criminal Court has unanimously concluded that former Philippine president Rody Duterte is mentally fit to participate in pre-trial proceedings, according to court filings submitted by both the prosecution and the defense.
The panel found that despite Duterte’s advanced age and physical frailty, he retains the cognitive capacity to understand the charges against him, follow the proceedings, assess evidence, and instruct his lawyers. Examinations conducted between October and November indicated that Duterte’s claimed memory problems did not align with doctors’ clinical observations.
Prosecutors said the experts used specialized tests designed to detect feigned cognitive impairment and concluded that Duterte deliberately underperformed on some assessments. Based on these findings, the panel determined that Duterte was an unreliable source regarding his own health complaints and that his reported cognitive decline was not supported by medical evaluation.
Duterte’s lawyers rejected the panel’s conclusions, arguing that the experts reached conflicting findings on key medical issues, including the presence of underlying conditions and the severity of his memory problems. The defense maintained that while Duterte may handle basic conversations, he lacks the short-term memory and cognitive stamina needed to meaningfully participate in complex ICC proceedings involving extensive evidence.
The defense has asked the court to hold an evidentiary hearing to question the medical experts, while prosecutors urged judges to accept the panel’s unanimous assessment and resume delayed proceedings. The ICC Pre-Trial Chamber has yet to issue a final ruling on Duterte’s fitness to stand trial.
