The International Criminal Court (ICC) has denied the request of former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s defense team for his interim release as he faces charges of crimes against humanity, including murder and attempted murder, linked to his administration’s bloody “war on drugs.”
The ruling, issued by the ICC’s Pre-Trial Chamber I, follows a motion filed by Duterte’s lawyers seeking temporary liberty while proceedings continue in The Hague. The court rejected the plea after finding no sufficient grounds to justify his release, affirming that he remains in ICC custody in the Netherlands, where he was transferred following his arrest in Manila on March 11, 2025.
Duterte first appeared before the tribunal via video link on March 14, where he was formally informed of the charges against him. The prosecution alleges that as president and former Davao City mayor, Duterte bore responsibility for widespread extrajudicial killings, citing at least 76 cases of murder and attempted murder from 2013 to 2018.
Prosecutors have charged him with crimes against humanity, arguing that he enabled and directed operations that resulted in the deaths of suspects under the guise of anti-crime campaigns. The indictment includes 19 killings allegedly committed between 2013 and 2016, 14 during the early years of his presidency, and 43 more linked to police “barangay clearance” operations.
The ICC previously set the confirmation of charges hearing for September 23, 2025, when judges will determine which allegations will move forward to trial. Duterte’s defense continues to challenge the court’s jurisdiction, citing the Philippines’ withdrawal from the Rome Statute in 2019 and questioning his fitness to stand trial.
Despite these objections, ICC judges earlier ruled that the tribunal retains jurisdiction over crimes committed while the Philippines was still a state party to the Rome Statute. Duterte remains the first Asian former head of state to be tried before the ICC for alleged crimes against humanity.
