Former President Duterte appears before ICC judges for first time in 18 months

Former Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte appeared in public on Wednesday for the first time since being transferred to the International Criminal Court 18 months ago to face murder charges regarding his war on drugs.

Duterte, 81, served as president from 2016 to 2022, before being charged with crimes against humanity for setting up, funding and arming death squads that targeted narcotics peddlers and users. He was arrested and taken to The Hague in March 2025.

On Wednesday he appeared in the ICC courtroom where judges heard arguments about his health and ability to stand trial, set to begin in November.

His lawyers have said he suffers from cognitive decline that affects his memory and daily functioning, and is not well enough.

Dressed in a black suit and white shirt, Duterte did not speak in court.

In January, ICC judges said Duterte's health was good enough for him to follow proceedings and requested his presence in court, rather than by video link from the detention unit.

The warrant for Duterte says he was responsible for a widespread and systematic campaign that led to thousands of killings between 2011 and 2019, including his time as the mayor of the southern city of Davao.

ICC prosecutors have said as many as 30,000 people may have been killed in the crackdown, the details of which were reported in a Reuters investigation.

Police said 6,200 suspects were killed during anti-drug operations. Duterte said he instructed police to act in self-defence and told supporters he was ready to "rot in jail" if it meant ridding the Philippines of illicit drugs.

-Reporting by Anthony Deutsch; Additional reporting by Stephanie van den Berg and Karen Lema; Editing by Alexandra Hudson and Clarence Fernandez/Reuters