Philippines ex‑leader Duterte makes first in‑person ICC appearance on crimes‑against‑humanity charges

Former Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte appeared in person at the International Criminal Court, facing charges of crimes against humanity for his "war on drugs" campaign.

The defence claims a vast number of prosecution documents makes preparing for Duterte's trial difficult, while judges question his mental fitness to stand trial.

Duterte maintains his innocence, arguing the charges are politically motivated and contends his speeches were often exaggerated while his crime approach remains popular in the Philippines.

THE HAGUE, Sept 16 — Former Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte appeared in person at the International Criminal Court for the first time today, as he faces charges over his “war on drugs” that killed thousands.

The 81-year-old had appeared by video link when he was first brought to the court in The Hague, but had since skipped hearings, with his defence team saying he was too ill.

Dressed in a dark suit and white shirt with no tie, the former president sat with his chin resting on his hands as proceedings opened.

Judge Joanna Korner noted his appearance in court for the first time, and said he could leave the court at any time without seeking permission from the bench.

But he stayed throughout the hearing, which lasted one hour and 15 minutes, showing no emotion and seeming to follow proceedings through headphones.

Duterte did not speak during the hearing but waved at the public gallery when the judge had left the courtroom at the end.

He is the first Asian former head of state to face trial at the ICC, which prosecutes individuals for the world’s worst crimes such as war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Duterte faces three counts of crimes against humanity, with prosecutors alleging his involvement in at least 76 murders between 2013 and 2018 during his offensive against drug users and sellers.

Korner has set November 30 as the start date of the trial, which could take months or even years.

The only time Duterte had been seen since his arrest in March 2025 was an initial appearance via video, where he seemed confused and tired, his speech barely audible.

Today’s hearing was a “status hearing” for the parties and the judge to fix logistical details.

Lawyers clashed over evidence filed by the prosecution, which they said was around 15,000 pieces but the defence put at more than 62,000 documents.

“It’s quite enormous. It’s impossible,” said defence lawyer Peter Haynes. “We haven’t got a prayer of reading” such a mountain of documents before the trial starts, said Haynes.

“The current state of the case is a mess. If I had a younger, healthier client, I would invite you to put back the trial by six months... but I don’t,” said Duterte’s lawyer.

Korner chided the prosecution for “wholesale dumping” of documents and urged the parties to work together to reduce the size of the case file.

Relatives of some of those killed in the anti-drugs campaign welcomed Duterte’s appearance in court.

Randy Delos Santos, 48, an uncle of Kian Delos Santos, a teenager killed by police in August 2017, when Duterte was president, told AFP: “Of course, we are very happy that he is now able to attend in person.

“We hope that his being physically fit will help speed up the hearings,” Santos told AFP in Manila.

In a submission published yesterday, Duterte’s lawyers said he suffered from “significant memory impairment that prevents him from retaining recent information and reliably accessing memories”.

Judges are weighing whether he is mentally fit to be tried and have ordered a medical assessment by three experts.

That assessment has not been made public but Duterte’s defence cited the results of examinations contained in the report.

According to the defence, these examination showed Duterte thinks he is living in 2007 or 2008, that he is 84 or 85 years old, and could not recall the name of the current US president.

‘Bluster and hyperbole’

During hearings in February, the prosecution alleged Duterte killed thousands of suspected drug dealers and users, first as mayor of Davao City, then as president.

The true number of killings during his campaign in the Philippines is thought to be in the thousands, and lawyers for the victims have argued that a full trial could encourage more families to come forward.

His then defence lawyer Nicolas Kaufman told the court in February his client “absolutely” maintained his innocence.

Kaufman told ICC judges the evidence against Duterte was “wholly insufficient” and the charges “grievously misplaced and politically motivated”.

He argued that while Duterte used “bluster and hyperbole” in his speeches, he also frequently ordered authorities only to shoot in self-defence.

Duterte remains popular in the Philippines, where many favoured his tough approach to crime. — AFP

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菲律宾前总统罗德里戈·杜特尔特亲自出庭国际刑事法院，面临因其“禁毒战争”而犯下的反人类罪指控。

辩方声称，大量的检方文件使得准备杜特尔特的审判变得困难，而法官们则质疑他是否具备受审的精神能力。

杜特尔特坚称自己无罪，认为这些指控是出于政治动机，并辩称他的演讲经常夸大其词，而他的犯罪处理方式在菲律宾仍然很受欢迎。

海牙，9 月 16 日——菲律宾前总统罗德里戈·杜特尔特今天首次亲自出现在国际刑事法院，他因其发动的“禁毒战争”而面临指控，这场战争导致数千人死亡。

这位 81 岁的老人第一次被带到海牙法庭时是通过视频连线出庭的，但此后他一直缺席庭审，他的辩护团队称他病得太重。

这位前总统身穿深色西装和白色衬衫，没有系领带，在会议开始时双手托腮坐着。

法官乔安娜·科纳注意到这是他第一次出庭，并表示他可以随时离开法庭，无需向法官申请许可。

但他全程待在听证会现场，听证会持续了1小时15分钟，他没有表现出任何情绪，似乎只是戴着耳机关注着庭审进程。

杜特尔特在庭审过程中没有发言，但在法官离开法庭后，他向旁听席挥手致意。

他是首位在国际刑事法院受审的亚洲前国家元首，该法院负责起诉犯有战争罪和反人类罪等世界上最严重罪行的个人。

杜特尔特面临三项反人类罪指控，检方称他在 2013 年至 2018 年期间打击吸毒者和贩毒者的过程中，至少参与了 76 起谋杀案。

科纳已将 11 月 30 日定为审判开始日期，审判可能会持续数月甚至数年。

自 2025 年 3 月被捕以来，杜特尔特唯一一次露面是通过视频，当时他看起来很困惑也很疲惫，说话的声音几乎听不见。

今天的听证会是一次“状态听证会”，各方和法官需要确定一些后勤细节。

双方律师就控方提交的证据发生冲突，控方称证据约有 15,000 件，而辩方则称有超过 62,000 份文件。

“文件数量庞大，根本不可能看完，”辩护律师彼得·海恩斯说。“我们根本不可能在审判开始前看完如此堆积如山的文件，”海恩斯说。

“目前案情一团糟。如果我的委托人更年轻、更健康，我会请求你们将审判推迟六个月……但我没有，”杜特尔特的律师说道。

科纳指责检方“大量倾倒”文件，并敦促各方共同努力减少案件卷宗的规模。

一些在禁毒运动中丧生者的家属对杜特尔特出庭表示欢迎。

48 岁的兰迪·德洛斯·桑托斯是基安·德洛斯·桑托斯的叔叔，基安·德洛斯·桑托斯是一名青少年，于 2017 年 8 月被警察杀害，当时杜特尔特是总统。兰迪告诉法新社：“当然，我们非常高兴他现在能够亲自出席。”

“我们希望他身体健康能够加快听证会进程，”桑托斯在马尼拉告诉法新社。

杜特尔特的律师昨天发表声明称，他患有“严重的记忆障碍，导致他无法记住最近的信息，也无法可靠地提取记忆”。

法官们正在权衡他是否具备受审的精神状态，并已下令由三名专家进行医学评估。

该评估结果尚未公开，但杜特尔特的辩护律师引用了报告中的检查结果。

辩方称，这些检查表明杜特尔特认为自己生活在 2007 年或 2008 年，他已经 84 或 85 岁了，并且记不起现任美国总统的名字。

“虚张声势和夸张言辞”

在二月份的听证会上，检方指控杜特尔特杀害了数千名涉嫌贩毒者和吸毒者，先是在担任达沃市市长期间，后来又担任总统期间。

据信，他在菲律宾的竞选活动中实际发生的杀戮人数高达数千人，受害者的律师辩称，全面审判可能会鼓励更多家庭站出来。

他的辩护律师尼古拉斯·考夫曼在二月份告诉法庭，他的当事人“绝对”坚持自己是无辜的。

考夫曼告诉国际刑事法院法官，针对杜特尔特的证据“完全不足”，指控“严重错误且出于政治动机”。

他认为，虽然杜特尔特在演讲中使用了“虚张声势和夸张的言辞”，但他同时也经常命令当局只能在自卫的情况下开枪。

杜特尔特在菲律宾仍然很受欢迎，许多人赞赏他强硬的打击犯罪手段。——法新社

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