Rodrigo Duterte to retain ICC defense team despite lossesMANILA, Philippines — Former President Rodrigo Duterte has no plans of replacing his current legal team at the International Criminal Court, Vice President Sara Duterte said Wednesday, January 28. Pero meron siyang mga instructions na ibinigay sa legal team," the vice president said. On January 26, the ICC ruled Duterte fit to stand trial despite his lawyers' claims that cognitive decline left him unable to retain information or instruct his attorneys effectively. That Duterte gave his legal team new instructions contradicts the defense's central argument about his cognitive abilities. In October 2025, ICC judges also rejected the defense's challenge to the court's jurisdiction.

Source: Philippine Star January 29, 2026 13:14 UTC