ICC prosecutors: Duterte has no valid reason to skip pre-trial hearingFormer Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is seen on a screen in the courtroom during his first appearance before the International Criminal Court (ICC) on charge of crimes against humanity over his deadly crackdown on narcotics, in The Hague on March 14, 2025. "The Prosecution respectfully requests that the Chamber reject Mr Duterte’s request to waive his right to appear at the confirmation hearing. There is no reasonable cause for Mr Duterte not to appear in person in court at the confirmation hearing," the filing read. Duterte's appearance during the hearing would be a "significant milestone" for the victims part of the proceedings, the prosecutors wrote. Duterte has been held at the ICC detention facility in Scheveningen in the Netherlands since his March 2025 arrest.

Source: Philippine Star February 20, 2026 12:46 UTC