Rodrigo Duterte, former president of the Philippines, will face trial at the International Criminal Court starting November 30, 2026, on charges of crimes against humanity linked to his anti-drug campaign [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. Prosecutors accuse the 81-year-old Duterte of involvement in at least 76 murders between 2013 and 2018, including allegations of murder, torture, and rape [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].
The case covers crimes allegedly committed during Duterte’s terms as mayor of Davao City and as president, with the timeline of offenses disputed. One ICC source says the crimes span from November 2011 to March 2019, while others cite 2013 to 2018 [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].
Duterte was arrested on March 11, 2025, at Manila airport and has been detained at the ICC detention center in The Hague since then [1]. He denies the charges and rejects the court’s authority [1, 4]. ICC Prosecutor Julian Nicholls said, "Decades of murdering his own people, murdering the children of the Philippines, and he claims that he did it all for his country. He doesn’t deny it." [1]
The presiding judge, Joanna Korner, has set the trial start date but ordered a further assessment of Duterte’s fitness to stand trial amid health concerns [2, 3]. Duterte’s defense says his health is deteriorating and he may never appear in court physically. They argue, "It would be inappropriate to attempt to set a date. The defence position is that a commencement is contingent upon a determination of Duterte’s fitness to stand trial." [2]
Prosecutors plan to call between 60 and 70 witnesses during the case [2, 3]. If the trial proceeds, Duterte would be the first former Asian head of state tried by the ICC [1, 2, 3].
The next major event will be the trial’s scheduled start on November 30, 2026 [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].
