Philippines - The International Criminal Court has set 30 November 2026 as the date for the first trial for former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte in the case of crimes against humanity due to his "war against drugs" policy, applied during his presidentship.
The schedule of the trial was set on 27 May at The Hague after Duterto was arrested in the Philippines 15 months earlier.
Trial Chamber III of the ICC is scheduled for the opening of the trial, with the agenda to note submissions from the prosecution, defense, and legal representatives of victims, as well as the time necessary for the disclosure of evidence and other materials.
Duterte, 81, will be the first Asian former head of state to face trial at the ICC. He faces three counts of crimes against humanity, with prosecutors alleging his involvement in at least 76 murders between 2013 and 2018 during his so-called "war on drugs."
"I am prepared to accede to the prosecution's request," said Presiding Judge Joanna Korner during the hearing on 27 May, siding with prosecutors who had pushed for the November 30 start date. Lawyers for victims had pressed for a September start, while the court registry sought January 2027, citing the need to recruit interpreters for Filipino languages.
Prosecutors plan to call between 60 and 70 witnesses during the trial, approximately 31 of them insider witnesses. The prosecution was given deadline until 29 June to submit a provisional list of witnesses and evidence, and until 31 August to submit its final list, including any additional incidents it wants included in the case.
The trial's November 30 opening would be one of the fastest from confirmation of charges in the history of the ICC.
The defense had earlier cited cases that took 14 to 19 months from confirmation to the start of trial. Duterte's charges were confirmed on 23 April 2026, which means the trial would begin just over seven months later.****
