Duterte Ordered to Appear in Person at ICC Fitness Hearing

Rodrigo Duterte is expected to appear in person at the International Criminal Court on Wednesday for the first time since his arrest and transfer to The Hague in March 2025. The hearing will examine whether the 81-year-old former Philippine president is fit to stand trial on crimes-against-humanity charges linked to alleged killings during his campaign against drugs, with trial proceedings scheduled to begin in November. Duterte’s lawyers have cited cognitive decline and health concerns, but ICC judges ruled in January that he was well enough to follow the case and ordered him to attend in person rather than by video. Prosecutors allege that thousands of people were killed between 2011 and 2019, with estimates ranging from about 6,200 deaths recorded by police to as many as 30,000 cited by prosecutors and rights groups; Duterte denies wrongdoing and says police acted in self-defense.