The confirmation of charges hearing in the case of former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte before the International Criminal Court (ICC) will begin on February 23 in The Hague, Netherlands. Proceedings are scheduled from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. local time, equivalent to 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. in the Philippines, and will take place before Pre-Trial Chamber I.
Additional hearing dates have been set for February 24, 26, and 27, during which the Prosecution, the Defence, and the common legal representatives of victims will present their arguments before the judges. Each side has been assigned specific time allocations for opening statements, detailed submissions, and closing remarks, although the ICC noted that the timetable may change depending on the progress of the proceedings.
The hearing aims to determine whether sufficient evidence exists to establish substantial grounds that Duterte committed the crimes listed in the charges. If confirmed, the case will move forward to a Trial Chamber for the next phase of legal proceedings.
Observers will be able to follow the hearing online through the ICC’s official platforms with a 30-minute broadcast delay. Meanwhile, the court set February 16 as the deadline for parties to submit additional arguments and objections.
Duterte is currently detained at the ICC Detention Center in Scheveningen while facing charges of crimes against humanity linked to alleged killings during the anti-drug campaign carried out when he served as mayor of Davao City and later as president of the Philippines.
The ICC has also named several individuals as alleged co-perpetrators in what it described as a “common plan,” including Senators Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa and Bong Go, former police officials Vicente Danao, Camilo Cascolan, Oscar Albayalde, and Isidro Lapeña, former National Bureau of Investigation director Dante Gierran, and former justice secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II, among others.
Some of those named have denied the allegations, with Senator Go calling the claims unfounded and Aguirre rejecting accusations linking him to alleged extrajudicial killings. Cascolan passed away in November 2023.
