Duterte to appear before ICC on murder charges March 14

Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, 79, is scheduled for his initial appearance before the International Criminal Court (ICC) on March 14, 2025, at 2:00 PM local time.

He was taken into custody by Philippine authorities on March 12, 2025, in compliance with an ICC arrest warrant issued on March 7, 2025.

Duterte faces charges of murder as a crime against humanity, allegedly committed between November 1, 2011, and March 16, 2019, during which time he served as President, Mayor of Davao City, and was reportedly the leader of the Davao Death Squad.

The ICC found reasonable grounds to believe Duterte is "individually responsible as an indirect co-perpetrator" for these crimes.

Despite Duterte's withdrawal from the Rome Statute in 2019, the ICC asserts jurisdiction as the alleged crimes occurred while the Philippines was a member state.

Legal experts have affirmed the legitimacy and validity of the ICC's arrest warrant against Duterte.

The initial appearance hearing will confirm his identity, language for proceedings, and formally inform him of the allegations and his rights.

The hearing will be presided over by Judge Iulia Antoanella Motoc, alongside Judges Reine Adélaïde Sophie Alapini-Gansou and María del Socorro Flores Liera, and will be live-streamed on the ICC's website with a 30-minute delay.