At A Glance
- The International Criminal Court (ICC) has cancelled the July 14 status conference in the crimes against humanity case against former president Rodrigo Duterte.
- The ICC said the parties and participants informed the court that there were no issues requiring attention at this stage of the proceedings.
- The next status conference remains scheduled for Sept. 16, while the trial is still set to begin on Nov. 30.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has cancelled the status conference scheduled for July 14 in the crimes against humanity case against former president Rodrigo Duterte, saying there are currently no matters requiring the court’s attention before trial.
In an announcement on Friday, July 10, the ICC’s Trial Chamber III said it had decided to cancel the conference after the parties and participants informed the court that they had no specific issues to raise at this stage of the proceedings.
“Trial Chamber III has cancelled the status conference scheduled for 14 July 2026 in the Duterte case,” the ICC said.
“The Chamber decided as such in light of the parties and participants indicating that they do not have specific matters which require attention at this stage of the proceedings,” it added.
Despite the cancellation, the ICC said the next status conference in the case remains scheduled for Sept. 16.
The trial, meanwhile, is still expected to commence on Nov. 30.
Status conferences are procedural hearings where judges discuss preparations for trial, address legal and administrative matters, and ensure that both the prosecution and the defense are ready for the proceedings.
The cancellation comes as both the prosecution and Duterte’s defense continue pre-trial preparations.
Earlier this month, Trial Chamber III granted the Office of the Prosecutor access to additional records sought as part of its ongoing trial preparations, while partially rejecting the defense’s objections to the disclosure of certain materials.
The chamber has also been resolving procedural matters, including requests concerning evidence disclosure and witness protection, ahead of the start of the trial.
Duterte is under ICC custody for alleged crimes against humanity of murder in connection with killings allegedly committed during his administration’s anti-illegal drugs campaign from Nov. 1, 2011, to March 16, 2019.
He was arrested in Manila on March 11, 2025, pursuant to an ICC warrant and was flown to The Hague later that day.
The ICC has maintained jurisdiction over the alleged crimes because they were purportedly committed while the Philippines was still a State Party to the Rome Statute, before the country’s withdrawal from the treaty took effect in March 2019.
Duterte has repeatedly questioned the ICC’s jurisdiction over the Philippines and has maintained that he committed no crime during his campaign against illegal drugs.