Duterte Appears in Person During Crimes Against Humanity Trial
Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte appeared in person at a trial at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, Netherlands, regarding alleged crimes against humanity. Duterte’s appearance at the hearing was notably striking.
According to the BBC on Thursday (17/9), Duterte faces charges related to the war on drugs during his administration, which is accused of causing the extrajudicial execution of tens of thousands of drug dealers and small-scale users without due process.
The 81-year-old man wore a dark suit and a white shirt when attending the trial on Wednesday. This marks his first in-person appearance since his arrest in Manila 18 months ago.
Duterte did not make any statement during the trial. However, as the session concluded, he was seen waving to family members seated in the public gallery. Rodrigo Duterte has been detained in The Hague since March 2025.
Previously, Duterte had participated in the trial proceedings via video link and had missed several scheduled hearings.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) held a status hearing on Wednesday after Rodrigo Duterte’s legal team argued that the former Philippine president’s worsening health makes him unfit to undergo trial. The first substantive hearing in this case is scheduled for 30 November.
Severe Memory Impairment
Meanwhile, as reported by AFP, Duterte’s legal team has spoken out regarding their client’s condition. Duterte’s lawyers and ICC prosecutors provided responses in documents dated 14 September, which were published on the official ICC website on Tuesday (15/9) local time.
“Duterte is experiencing significant memory impairment that hinders his ability to retain current information and access memories reliably,” stated the lead counsel for Duterte, Peter Haynes, in the documents published online.
According to Haynes, this condition makes it impossible for Duterte to understand the case against him, let alone provide adequate instructions to his lead counsel—whose name he can only occasionally remember.
Haynes stated that he and his team have been forced to prepare for the trial without meaningful input from Duterte.
According to the defence documents, several examinations indicate that Duterte believes he is living in 2007 or 2008, feels he is 84 or 85 years old, and cannot remember the name of the current President of the United States.
In contrast, ICC prosecutors argued in a seven-page document, much of which has been redacted, that Duterte is “able to meaningfully exercise his procedural rights and right to a fair trial, and is fit to stand trial.”
Under ICC rules, trial proceedings cannot proceed if the defendant is unable to understand the charges or cannot participate meaningfully in their own defence.