Former Philippine President Rody Duterte is expected to personally attend the confirmation of charges hearing at the International Criminal Court after the tribunal ruled that he is fit to participate in pretrial proceedings. The long-delayed hearing is set to begin on February 23 at the ICC headquarters in The Hague.
Lawyer Kristina Conti, representing families of alleged drug war victims, said there are no remaining procedural issues that could delay the four-day hearing. Proceedings are scheduled for February 23 to 24 and February 26 to 27, with a break on February 25. Each hearing day is expected to last around three hours.
Pre-Trial Chamber I has approved accommodations for Duterte’s health condition after repeated claims that he cannot sit or stand for extended periods. These measures reinforce expectations that Duterte will be physically present while ensuring proceedings stay within limits set by the court. Conti said significant consideration was given to his medical condition.
She added that Duterte did not formally request to attend via video link, stressing that personal attendance is important at this stage since it allows the accused to directly understand and contest the charges.
Duterte, who turns 81 on March 28, has been detained at the Scheveningen prison complex since his arrest last year. The ICC earlier ruled that he is able to exercise his procedural rights and is fit to take part in pretrial proceedings, a finding his legal team has sought to appeal.
In a February 2 appeal, defense lawyer Nicholas Kaufman argued that Duterte suffered extraordinary injustice, particularly regarding his health, citing alleged denial of access to medical records, restrictions on a defense-nominated neuropsychologist, and the inability to challenge findings of a court-appointed medical panel.
Despite these objections, the ICC ruling clears the way for Duterte to face the confirmation of charges hearing in person after months of delay.
