The International Criminal Court (ICC) is seeking a paraprofessional interpreter and an associate court interpreter to assist in witness testimonies and other court-related proceedings as it prepares for the trial of former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte in November.
In a job posting on its website, the ICC announced two fixed-term vacancies valid until December 31 this year. Applications will close on July 4.
The paraprofessional interpreter post offers a minimum net annual salary of €55,665 (about P4 million), while the associate court interpreter position offers €71,173 (about P5.1 million). Both posts will be based in The Hague, Netherlands.
The interpreters will be tasked with assisting in the interpretation of witness testimonies and other legal proceedings, including legal and forensic discourse. They will also study statements, prepare for interpretation assignments, and compile specialized vocabulary lists.
Applicants must have “mother tongue proficiency” in Filipino and/or Cebuano, along with a high level of English proficiency to provide “retour interpretation” between the languages.
Selected candidates will undergo intensive training and continuous assessment under the ICC’s Language Services Section, which operates under the Registry, the court’s administrative arm. They will report directly to the head of the Situation Languages Unit.
The need for interpretation services was raised during the first status conference for Duterte’s trial last month, where Presiding Judge Joanna Korner of Trial Chamber III directed the Registry to ensure interpretation support so Filipino audiences can follow proceedings during the opening of the trial.
Legal representatives of victims earlier said they preferred real-time translation in both Filipino and Cebuano, though they said translation in at least one local language would still be acceptable.
The ICC had previously opened recruitment for Filipino and Cebuano translators in 2024 during the investigation stage, and again in 2025 after Duterte’s arrest and transfer to ICC custody.
