14-3-2025 (MANILA) Rodrigo Roa Duterte, who previously held the Philippines’ highest office, is set to face the International Criminal Court (ICC) for his initial hearing. The proceedings, scheduled for 14 March 2025 at 14:00 local time, will unfold before an all-female judicial panel in Pre-Trial Chamber I.
The former Philippine leader, who was apprehended under a sealed ICC warrant on 7 March 2025, now finds himself at the centre of grave allegations spanning nearly eight years. The charges stem from his various roles, including his tenure as the nation’s president and his time as Davao City’s mayor, where he allegedly headed the notorious Davao Death Squad.
Following his transfer to ICC custody on 12 March, Duterte has requested legal representation from his former Executive Secretary, Salvador Medialdea, alongside support from the Office of Public Counsel for Defense. The ICC Registry has moved to accommodate this arrangement for the upcoming hearing.
The judicial proceedings will be overseen by a distinguished trio: Presiding Judge Iulia Antoanella Motoc, alongside Judges Reine Adélaïde Sophie Alapini-Gansou and María del Socorro Flores Liera – the same panel that authorised his arrest warrant.
Should Duterte seek interim release, he would face stringent restrictions under Rule 119 of the ICC’s procedural framework. These measures could include travel limitations, restricted associations, prohibition of victim contact, and mandatory residence requirements. The court must also weigh potential risks to witnesses and victims before considering such release.
The confirmation of charges hearing, a crucial next step, could proceed with or without Duterte’s physical presence. The Pre-Trial Chamber holds three options: confirming the charges and advancing to trial, declining confirmation, or requesting the Prosecutor to furnish additional evidence or modify the charges.
In accordance with the Rome Statute’s Article 60(1), Duterte will be formally apprised of the allegations against him – specifically, murder as a crime against humanity allegedly committed between 1 November 2011 and 16 March 2019. The proceedings, maintaining ICC’s commitment to transparency, will remain open to public observation, barring exceptional circumstances requiring victim or witness protection.
