Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is set to make his first appearance before the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Friday, March 14, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. local time, facing charges of crimes against humanity linked to extrajudicial killings during his administration’s “war on drugs.”
Duterte was arrested in Manila on March 11 by Philippine authorities under an ICC warrant issued on March 7. He was flown to the Netherlands the same day and surrendered to ICC custody on March 12.
“Duterte’s appearance before the ICC is a testament to the courage and determination of the victims, their families, and Filipino activists and journalists to pursue justice no matter how long it takes,” said Bryony Lau, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch.
The former leader is accused of the crime against humanity of murder in connection with extrajudicial killings between November 1, 2011, and March 16, 2019.
This period covers Duterte’s tenure as mayor of Davao City and his presidency, during which thousands of suspected drug dealers and users were reportedly killed in police operations and vigilante-style executions.
During the hearing, ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I, composed of Presiding Judge Iulia Antoanella Motoc and Judges Reine Adélaïde Sophie Alapini-Gansou and María del Socorro Flores Liera, will confirm Duterte’s identity, determine the language he will use in court, and inform him of the charges against him and his rights under the Rome Statute.
The ICC began investigating the Philippines’ drug war in February 2018. In response, Duterte withdrew the country from the ICC the following month, a decision that took effect in 2019.
However, the court retained jurisdiction over crimes committed before the withdrawal. In 2021, ICC judges approved a formal investigation, rejecting the Philippine government’s objections.
Duterte joins a list of global leaders pursued by the ICC, which has also issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The ICC has invited members of the diplomatic corps, civil society, and the public to attend the hearing. Journalists covering the proceedings must secure accreditation by March 14 at 11:00 a.m. local time.
The hearing will be webcast with a 30-minute delay on the ICC’s website in English and French.
Fr. Flavie Villanueva of the Society of the Divine Word, a Catholic priest who supports families of extrajudicial killing victims, called it “a triumph of good against evil.”
“It began with a nightmare because it should not have happened in the first place. But since it did, goodwill responded, and yesterday goodwill also won,” Villanueva said, calling the arrest a “moral victory.”
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines reported that Villanueva led a prayer service before the inurnment of 18 more extrajudicial killing victims at the Dambana ng Paghilom (Shrine of Healing) in Caloocan City the day after Duterte’s arrest.
Established in 2024 inside Laloma Catholic Cemetery with support from the Diocese of Kalookan, the shrine serves as a resting place for victims whose families cannot afford to renew leases on their graves. More than 70 urns have been interred at the site.
Villanueva urged Filipinos to reflect on Duterte’s policies and work toward healing. “I just hope that people finally realize that nothing good came out of ‘Tokhang,’” he said, using the term for Duterte’s anti-drug operations.
“Instead, a culture of darkness and death prevailed. And with Duterte’s arrest, I hope we can put an end to this culture and recreate a beautiful, much better culture of caring and healing,” the priest said.
