THE HAGUE, Netherlands — Former Philippine President Rodrigo Roa Duterte made his first public appearance before the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague since his arrest and transfer to the Netherlands in March 2025.
Duterte appeared before ICC judges in a hearing concerning his fitness to participate in proceedings related to allegations of crimes against humanity linked to his administration’s anti-illegal drugs campaign. The hearing was held on September 15, 2026, according to reports.
The 81-year-old former president was arrested by Philippine authorities on March 11, 2025, following the issuance of an ICC arrest warrant. The warrant, issued on March 7 and made public on March 11, alleged reasonable grounds to believe that Duterte was individually responsible, as an indirect co-perpetrator, for the crime against humanity of murder allegedly committed in the Philippines between November 1, 2011, and March 16, 2019.
Duterte was subsequently surrendered to ICC custody on March 12, 2025. Philippine authorities said his arrest was carried out pursuant to the country’s obligations concerning the Interpol process. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. also said at the time that the arrest was made in compliance with the Philippines’ commitments to Interpol.
The Philippines formally withdrew from the Rome Statute in 2018. However, the ICC has maintained that it retains jurisdiction over alleged crimes committed while the Philippines was a state party to the Rome Statute.
Duterte’s case before the ICC stems from allegations concerning killings associated with the anti-drug campaign during his time as Davao City mayor and later as president. The allegations remain subject to judicial proceedings, and Duterte’s defense has challenged the ICC’s jurisdiction over the case.