According to the BBC, former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte appeared in person for the first time at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague on the 16th regarding allegations of crimes against humanity linked to his bloody war on drugs. Although he had previously appeared only via video link since his arrest in Manila 18 months ago, he finally made a physical appearance. However, his fitness to stand trial remains a key point of contention; the defense claims he suffers from severe memory decline—believing he is still living in 2007 or 2008 and unable to recall even the name of U.S. President Donald Trump.
Duterte appeared in court wearing a dark suit and white shirt; he remained silent throughout the proceedings, waving to family members in the public gallery only after the hearing concluded. This marked his first public appearance in person since his arrest in Manila in March 2025. Previously, Duterte had appeared via video link and had missed several hearings.
The ICC convened this procedural hearing primarily due to concerns regarding Duterte’s health. Defense lawyer Peter Haynes recently argued that Duterte suffers from “severe memory impairment” and can no longer effectively communicate with his legal team, rendering him unfit to stand trial—a claim the prosecution has contested.
Judges are currently deliberating on whether Duterte is mentally fit to stand trial and have ordered medical evaluations by three experts. While the assessment reports have not yet been made public, AFP cited the defense as stating that Duterte believes he is still living in 2007 or 2008 and thinks he is 84 or 85 years old; during the evaluation, he was reportedly unable to recall Donald Trump’s name.
During his presidency from 2016 to 2022, Duterte made the crackdown on illegal drugs a central policy; this bloody campaign allegedly resulted in the extrajudicial killings of tens of thousands of small-scale drug dealers. The scope of the ICC investigation extends back to November 1, 2011—covering the period when Duterte served as mayor of Davao City—and continues up to March 16, 2019, when the Philippines withdrew from the ICC.