The International Criminal Court (ICC) on Wednesday has planned the trial of the former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte The trial begins on November 30 and marks the first time a former head of state will face trial for alleged crimes against humanity.
chair Judge Joanna Korner announced the date at the request of prosecutors, who want to present statements from about 60 to 70 witnesses on the deadly “war on drugs” under Duterte’s administration.
The upcoming trial will focus on this three Charges of crimes against humanity, specifically murder, torture and rape, allegedly committed between November 2011 and March 2019. These charges relate to his term as mayor of Davao and his subsequent six-year presidency, during which he served on human rights organizations treasure Tens of thousands of people died in a systematic crackdown on suspected drug offenders. This process deals with the “Davao model” of policing, a strategy Duterte reportedly developed as mayor to “neutralize” criminals through extrajudicial violence before expanding it to a national level after winning the presidency in 2016. Prosecutors’ officials have argued that Duterte is not denying the killings but is instead trying to justify them as service to his country.
The legal basis for the procedure is Article 7 paragraph 1 of the Roman Statutewhich prohibits widespread and systematic attacks on the civilian population. Although Duterte ordered the Philippines to do so withdraw by the ICC in 2019, the court retained its jurisdiction in accordance with Article 127 of the Statute, according to which a State remains responsible for crimes committed during its membership. The Investigative Chamber had previously found that there were strong reasons to believe that Duterte acted as an “indirect accomplice” and used hierarchical structures such as the Davao Death Squad (DDS) and the national police to carry out the killings.
The 81-year-old former leader has been detained in The Hague since his arrest and extradition from Manila in March 2025. His path to the International Criminal Court followed a high-profile political dispute between his family and his successor, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. While the Marcos administration initially refused to cooperate with the court, the collapse of their political alliance led to Duterte’s arrest at Manila airport. The planning of the trial has provoked polarized reactions. Duterte’s son, Sebastian Duterte, has sentenced the process as “selective prosecution” under the guise of justice. In contrast, the families of the victims of the drug war, who have protested several times in The Hague, view the process as a necessary accountability mechanism.
Ahead of the launch on November 30th, the court commissioned a new medical evaluation to determine whether Duterte is physically and mentally fit to take part in the trial after the defense claimed his health was deteriorating. The court had already found Duterte competent to stand trial in January.
Additionally, the ICC is still pursuing an arrest warrant against Duterte’s former police chief, Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, who remains in hiding following the May 13 shooting at the state Senate. The Supreme Court of the Philippines recently refused to prevent domestic authorities from enforcing the arrest warrant.
