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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider 'Old, tired, frail' Duterte to skip ICC confirmation hearing

'Old, tired, frail' Duterte to skip ICC confirmation hearing

Published Feb 18, 2026 09:55 pm
Former president Rodrigo Duterte (ICC Photos)
Former president Rodrigo Duterte (ICC Photos)

Former president Rodrigo Duterte said he will waive his right to attend the confirmation of charges hearing at the International Criminal Court (ICC) set on Feb. 23 to 27, 2026.

In a signed statement dated Feb. 17 from the ICC Detention Centre in The Hague, Duterte said he “wish[es] to waive my right to attend the hearing on the confirmation of charges,” citing health reasons and his continued non-recognition of the court’s jurisdiction.

According to Duterte, he understands the consequences of waiving his right and has authorized his counsel, Nicholas Kaufman, to challenge the prosecution’s evidence on his behalf.

“I trust him and his team to challenge the sufficiency of the Prosecution’s evidence on my behalf,” he wrote.

He also said he does not wish to follow the proceedings remotely through communications technology.

‘Old, tired, and frail’

Duterte cited his age and health in explaining his decision not to attend the hearing.

“I do not wish to attend legal proceedings that I will forget within minutes. I am old, tired, and frail,” he said, asking the court to respect his peace inside the cell it has placed him.

The former President likewise said that he has accepted the possibility that he could die in prison.

“But those that desire this fate for me should know that my heart and soul will always remain in the Philippines,” he said.

Despite this, Duterte remains proud of his legacy and service to the country.

“I am proud of my legacy and of my service to my countrymen around the world. Let no one doubt my love for and loyalty to the Filipino nation,” he said.

Rejects ICC jurisdiction

Duterte reiterated that he does not recognize the ICC’s jurisdiction over his person.

“I am a Filipino citizen forcibly pushed into a jet and renditioned to The Hague in the Netherlands in flagrant contravention of my country’s Constitution and of national sovereignty,” he claimed.

“My kidnapping was facilitated by the office of the incumbent President of the Philippines with a plane specially chartered for this purpose,” he added.

The former president also denied overseeing a policy of extrajudicial killings.

“The claim that I oversaw a policy of extra-judicial killings is an outrageous lie,” Duterte said, adding that the accusations were peddled by political opponents and based on individuals whose credibility he claimed had been discredited.

The upcoming confirmation of charges hearing will determine whether there is sufficient evidence to establish substantial grounds to believe that Duterte committed each of the crimes charged.

If one or more charges are confirmed, the case will be transferred to a Trial Chamber for full trial proceedings.

Duterte, arrested in March 2025, is suspected of crimes against humanity of murder and attempted murder, allegedly committed in the Philippines between Nov. 1, 2011, and March 16, 2019, in connection with the anti-drug campaign.

The Philippines withdrew from the Rome Statute in 2019, but the ICC has maintained that it retains jurisdiction over alleged crimes committed while the country was still a State Party.

Related Tags

President Duterte Rodrigo Duterte ICC
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