Duterte to skip second ICC status conference hearing
At A Glance
- Former president Rodrigo Duterte will not attend the second status conference in his ICC case on June 23 after waiving his right to be present.
- The ICC granted Duterte's request and said his signed waiver would be filed before the hearing.
- The hearing will discuss several procedural matters, including expert reports, confidential information, trial briefs, future status conferences, and public statements by counsel.
Former president Rodrigo Duterte will not attend the second status conference in his International Criminal Court (ICC) case next week after waiving his right to be present during the proceedings.
In a statement, the ICC said Duterte would skip the June 23 hearing in The Hague, Netherlands, after the tribunal's chamber granted his request.
"Mr. Duterte will not attend the second Status Conference scheduled for 23 June 2026. The accused has waived his right to attend the hearing, and the Chamber has granted the request,” the ICC said late Friday, June 19.
“The Defence is expected to file the signed waiver in the case record before the hearing," it added.
The second status conference is part of the proceedings in the case against Duterte, who is facing allegations of crimes against humanity in connection with his anti-illegal drugs campaign.
Agenda for the hearing
An order issued by ICC Trial Chamber III on June 18 showed that the June 23 hearing will tackle several procedural matters, including deadlines for observations on expert panel reports, the adoption of a protocol on handling confidential information, the page limit of the prosecution's trial brief, the schedule of future status conferences after the judicial recess, and public statements made by counsel.
The chamber said the hearing would be public but may shift to private sessions if sensitive information concerning witness protection and security issues needs to be discussed.
Unlike the first status conference on May 27, the second hearing will run only from 10 a.m. to 12 noon at The Hague because of the limited number of issues on the agenda.
The two-hour hearing in The Hague will take place from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on June 23 in the Philippines, which is six hours ahead of the Netherlands during daylight saving time.
The ICC's first status conference on May 27 focused on procedural issues, including disclosure of evidence, legal representation of victims, and preparations for the conduct of trial proceedings, which is set to open on Nov. 30.
The chamber said hearings are expected to run Monday to Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. (3:30 p.m. to 10 p.m., Manila time), with evidence presented in uninterrupted blocks of two to four weeks separated by periodic adjournments of one to two weeks.
The expert panel tasked to look into Duterte’s health was ordered to submit its report to the ICC Registry by Aug. 18, while the Registry must file the reports by Aug. 24. The parties and participants have until Aug. 31 to submit their observations.
The chamber deferred its decision on the defense's request for oral hearings involving the experts until after the submission of their reports.
Duterte was arrested on March 11 and was flown to The Hague the following day after Philippine authorities served an ICC warrant of arrest through an Interpol red notice.
The former president has repeatedly questioned the ICC's jurisdiction over his case, arguing that the Philippines had already withdrawn from the Rome Statute in 2019.
However, the tribunal has maintained that it retains jurisdiction over alleged crimes committed while the Philippines was still a state party to the Rome Statute, including incidents that occurred from Nov. 1, 2011, to March 16, 2019.