Top criminal court to open confirmation hearing for former Philippine President Duterte

The four-day proceedings will include the annual review of Duterte’s detention, a procedural step to determine whether he is fit to participate in court proceedings while in custody, the Manila Times reported.

Judges will assess whether there are substantial grounds to believe Duterte committed crimes against humanity in connection with killings linked to his anti-drug campaign as mayor of Davao City and later as president from 2016 to 2022.

The hearing is scheduled to begin at 10 am local time with the official reading of the charges and initial observations from the parties. The common legal representative of victims and Duterte’s defense team will then present their positions and respond to the charges.

In the afternoon session, prosecutors will present their submissions on the merits of the case.

Duterte’s defense team is led by British-Israeli lawyer Nicholas Kaufman, with French lawyer Dov Jacobs serving as associate counsel. The prosecution is headed by ICC Deputy Prosecutor Mandiaye Niang, a former international judge and UN official.

Duterte, 80, will not attend the hearing in person or online after waiving his right to be present, citing his rejection of the ICC’s jurisdiction and health concerns.

He has been detained at the ICC detention facility in The Hague since last March and faces three counts of crimes against humanity linked to drug war deaths between 2011 and 2019.