Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte appeared in person at the\nInternational Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, Netherlands, where he\nfaces trial for alleged crimes against humanity. Duterte faces charges\nrelated to the drug war during his administration, which is accused of\ncausing the extrajudicial execution of tens of thousands of small-scale\ndrug dealers and users.<\/p>\n
The 81-year-old man wore a dark suit and white shirt when attending\nthe hearing on Wednesday. This marks his first in-person appearance\nsince his arrest in Manila 18 months ago. Duterte did not make any\nstatement during the proceedings; however, as the session concluded, he\nwas seen waving to family members in the public gallery. Rodrigo Duterte\nhas been detained in The Hague since March 2025.<\/p>\n
Previously, Duterte had participated in proceedings via video link\nand had missed several scheduled hearings. The ICC held a status hearing\non Wednesday after Duterte\u2019s legal team argued that the former\npresident\u2019s deteriorating health rendered him unfit to stand trial. The\nfirst full trial in this case is scheduled for 30 November.<\/p>\n
The drug war was a cornerstone policy of the Duterte administration,\nwhich held power from 2016 to 2022. He repeatedly argued that harsh law\nenforcement was necessary to maintain security and order to support\neconomic growth. The ICC is investigating killings that occurred from 1\nNovember 2011, during his tenure as Mayor of Davao, until 16 March 2019,\nwhen the Philippines officially withdrew from the ICC.<\/p>\n
Duterte\u2019s lawyer, Peter Haynes, recently informed the court that his\nclient suffers from \u201csignificant memory impairment,\u201d making it\nimpossible for him to communicate and coordinate effectively with his\nlegal team. However, prosecutors have refuted these claims. Judges are\ncurrently considering whether Duterte is mentally fit to be tried and\nhave ordered medical examinations by three specialists. While the\nresults have not been published, reports suggest the defence claims\nDuterte believes he is still living in 2007 or 2008, believes he is 84\nor 85 years old, and cannot remember the name of US President Donald\nTrump.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, families of victims killed in the anti-drug campaign\nfollowed the trial via live broadcast in Manila. Llore Pasco, who lost\ntwo sons, told Reuters, \u201cWe are glad he finally appeared and seems well.\nIn fact, he looks like he has gained weight.\u201d Randy Delos Santos, who\nlost a teenage nephew in 2017, expressed satisfaction at Duterte\u2019s\npresence, hoping his physical condition might expedite the trial\nprocess.<\/p>\n
In 2019, while serving as president, Duterte revealed he suffered\nfrom myasthenia gravis, an autoimmune disease affecting nerve and muscle\nfunction. Upon his election in 2016 at age 71, he became the oldest\npresident in Philippine history at the time of winning the election.<\/p>\n
The Duterte family is currently involved in a fierce political power\nstruggle to maintain control in the Philippines. His daughter, Vice\nPresident Sara Duterte, is engaged in an escalating public feud with\nPresident Ferdinand \u201cBongbong\u201d Marcos Jr.\u00a0The breakdown of the\nDuterte-Marcos alliance, which secured their landslide victories in the\n2022 election, paved the way for Rodrigo Duterte\u2019s arrest at Manila\nAirport in March 2025.<\/p>\n
Sara Duterte is currently one of the strongest candidates to succeed\nMarcos in the 2028 presidential election. Under the Philippine\nconstitution, an incumbent president cannot run for a second term.\nHowever, she is simultaneously fighting to secure her political future\namidst an ongoing impeachment process. If found guilty, she would be\ndisqualified from running for public office. She faces allegations of\nmisuse of public funds as well as threats against President Marcos,\nFirst Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and the President\u2019s cousin and\nCongressman, Ferdinand Martin Romualdez.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/former-philippine-president-duterte-appears-at-icc-surprising-with-appearance-1789621151", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }