Former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte is expected to appear in public on Wednesday for the first time since he was transferred to the International Criminal Court (ICC) 18 months ago to face charges linked to his administration’s war on drugs.
Duterte, 81, served as president from 2016 to 2022 before being charged with crimes against humanity over allegations that he created, funded and armed death squads targeting suspected drug dealers and users.
He was arrested and transferred to The Hague in March 2025 to face the ICC proceedings.
Wednesday’s hearing will focus on Duterte’s health and whether he is fit to stand trial, with the trial currently scheduled to begin in November.
His defence lawyers have argued that Duterte is suffering from cognitive decline and is not well enough to participate in the proceedings.
Duterte’s lawyer and family did not respond to requests for comment.
However, ICC judges ruled in January that his health was sufficient for him to follow the proceedings and ordered him to appear in court rather than attend hearings through a video link from the detention unit.
According to an ICC warrant, Duterte was allegedly responsible for a widespread and systematic campaign that resulted in thousands of killings between 2011 and 2019, including during his time as mayor of Davao City.
ICC prosecutors have said as many as 30,000 people may have been killed during the crackdown, while a Reuters investigation has also examined the alleged killings.
Philippine police figures put the number of suspects killed during anti-drug operations at about 6,200.
Duterte has said he instructed police to act in self-defence and previously told supporters he was prepared to “rot in jail” if it meant ridding the Philippines of illegal drugs.
