MANILA (Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN): The International Criminal Court (ICC) has not allowed any in-person visits for former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte during his confirmation of charges hearing this coming week, his family said on Feb 22.
“Please be informed that there are no approved in-person family visits to former president Rodrigo Duterte while the court conducts hearings,” the Duterte family said in a statement.
Duterte has been held by the ICC since March 2025 over crimes against humanity charges during his term as president and as Davao city mayor.
The hearing on the confirmation of charges against him will be held on Feb 23, 24, 26 and 27.
The Duterte family also disclosed the team of Filipino lawyers who will attend during the confirmation of charges hearing.
These lawyers include Duterte’s former executive secretary Salvador Medialdea, his former spokesman Salvador Panelo and former labour chief Silvestre Bello III.
Also in Duterte’s team of lawyers are Martin Delgra III, Mr Alfredo Lim Jr and Mr Caesar Dulay.
The former president requested to skip the confirmation of charges hearing in his case, which the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I approved, ruling that the proceedings will move forward without his presence.
Duterte earlier waived his right to appear – whether in-person or on video – before the ICC as he refused to recognise the jurisdiction of the Hague-based tribunal over him, saying he is “old, tired and frail” and has accepted the likelihood of his dying while in detention.
A complaint against Duterte was filed with the ICC in June 2017.
Duterte declared the Philippines’ withdrawal from the Rome Statute or the treaty that established the ICC in March 2018.
The withdrawal took effect a year after or in March 2019.
Despite this, the ICC said it retained jurisdiction over alleged crimes in the Philippines – from November 1, 2011, to March 16, 2019 – while the country was still a state party.
On March 12, 2025, Duterte was arrested at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport and detained at Villamor Air Base the same day.
At least 6,000 people were killed during the war on drugs under Duterte’s administration, according to official government data. However, human rights watchdogs and the ICC prosecutor estimate the death toll to be between 12,000 and 30,000 from 2016 to 2019. -- PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
