ICC sets 3rd status conference on Duterte case

MANILA, Philippines — The International Criminal Court (ICC) Trial Chamber III will hold on Wednesday the third status conference on the crimes against humanity case against former president Rodrigo Duterte.

The conference, scheduled to start 10:30 a.m. in The Hague (4:30 p.m. in Manila), will be livestreamed online with a 30-minute delay.

It will tackle details of the prosecution’s case, including its list of witnesses and evidence, the number of hours to be given to the prosecutor, the ongoing disclosure to the defense and other possible incidents to be added in the case.

The parties will also discuss the trial schedule, which will start on Nov. 30, including the proposal to have “blocks of hearings with breaks.”

It remains unclear if Duterte will be present as he was previously allowed to skip the pre-trial proceedings.

But during the last status conference on June 23, presiding judge Joanna Korner said they expect Duterte to attend the September status conference “unless there’s some medical issue” that would prevent him from doing so.

Duterte has never appeared in person before ICC judges.

He was last seen by the public on March 14, 2025, when he appeared via video link during his initial appearance hearing before the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I.

His family and lawyers regularly visit him in his detention facility in The Hague.