MANILA – Former President Rodrigo Duterte is set to appear before the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) Pre-Trial Chamber I for his initial hearing on March 14, Friday, at 2 PM CET (9 PM Manila time).
The proceedings will be presided over by Judge Iulia Antoanella Motoc, alongside Judge Reine Adélaïde Sophie Alapini-Gansou and Judge María del Socorro Flores Liera.
This hearing will officially inform Duterte of the charges against him, his legal rights, and the schedule of the next proceedings. The Pre-Trial Chamber will also decide whether the case will move forward to a full trial.
Duterte faces accusations related to alleged human rights violations during his administration’s war on drugs, which has been the subject of an ongoing ICC investigation.
Despite the Philippine government’s withdrawal from the ICC in 2019, the court maintains jurisdiction over crimes committed while the country was still a member.
His legal team has yet to release an official statement regarding the upcoming hearing.
