Rodrigo Duterte’s ICC trial to start on November 30

MANILA, Philippines – The International Criminal Court (ICC) Trial Chamber III scheduled the start of former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte’s trial on November 30, 2026. 

“The trial will run on a daily basis until [we] reached judicial recess,” said Presiding Judge Joanna Korner during the first status conference on Wednesday, May 27.

“This date was set by the chamber following a status conference on this matter and other issues related to the preparation of the trial. The chamber noted the respective submissions by the prosecution, the defense, and the legal representatives of victims, as well as the necessary time for the disclosure of evidence and other materials,” said the ICC.

Duterte is facing three counts of crimes against humanity due to his alleged involvement in the killings under his war on drugs and the Davao Death Squad. He has been detained since March 2025.

The ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I confirmed all of his charges in April, bringing the case to the trial stage.

Unlike all hearings so far, where he has been absent, Duterte is mandated to appear at November’s trials physically.

Initially, Korner said the scheduling of the trial should be deferred until the medical examiner found Duterte fit for trial. However, later on, the trial chamber announced its ruling on the trial’s schedule.

The prosecution wanted the November 30 date, while the victims wanted a September 30 date. In the end, the trial chamber acceded to the prosecution’s preference.

It was also the first time that Duterte’s new lawyer and associate counsel, Peter Haynes and Kate Gibson, appeared before the chamber. They replaced Nicholas Kaufman and Dov Jacobs.

On Wednesday, the trial chamber also held the first status conference on Duterte’s case. A status conference is where parties discuss matters related to the case before proceeding to a full trial.

The next status conferences are scheduled on June 23 and July 14.

During Wednesday’s hearing, the prosecution said it submitted around 60 to 70 witnesses, and 31 insider witnesses. They also submitted 197 speeches as evidence.

“[That’s] too much, particularly if they would say the same thing,” Korner said.

The prosecution’s trial lawyer, Julian Nicholls, said they would narrow down the number, explaining that they would not play everything during the trial. – Rappler.com

المصدر: Rappler (PH)