Former president Rodrigo Duterte has elevated his case to the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) Appeals Chamber, contesting the court’s decision to continue investigating alleged crimes against humanity linked to his administration’s war on drugs.
The notice of appeal, filed on October 28, 2025, came five days after the ICC’s Pre-Trial Chamber I ruled on October 23 that the court retains jurisdiction over Duterte despite the Philippines’ 2019 withdrawal from the Rome Statute.
Duterte’s legal counsel, Nicholas Kaufman and Dr. Dov Jacobs, asked the court to declare that “there exists no legal basis for the continuation of International Criminal Court proceedings against Mr. Rodrigo Roa Duterte.” The filing also sought his “immediate and unconditional release.”
The ICC prosecutor had earlier been permitted to resume probing alleged extrajudicial killings during the country’s anti-drug campaign, which has drawn global attention for its human rights implications.
The former Philippine leader’s legal challenge now moves to the Appeals Chamber, where his defense will again question the ICC’s authority to pursue cases involving acts committed before the country’s withdrawal from the international tribunal.
