The International Criminal Court continues assessing former president Rodrigo Duterte's fitness to stand trial for alleged crimes against humanity from his drug war. The court has scheduled key deadlines for evaluating his medical condition. This includes a report from a panel of neuropsychiatry experts.
Rodrigo Duterte made his first appearance before the International Criminal Court on March 14, 2025, facing allegations of crimes against humanity from his drug war, which resulted in nearly 30,000 deaths. Recently, the ICC upheld its jurisdiction in the case and rejected Duterte's request for interim release by both the pre-trial and appeals chambers.
Duterte's defense argues he is medically and cognitively unfit to stand trial due to his age and loss of critical abilities. To examine this, the court appointed a panel of three neuropsychiatry experts, with names redacted. On November 14, 2025, the panel members were finalized after removing two: one for social media activity deemed incompatible with independence and impartiality, and another due to an undisclosed active suspension by her professional regulatory body, which the chamber called inappropriate.
The deadline for the panel to submit its report on Duterte's medical condition is December 2, 2025, as set by the pre-trial chamber. Following that, the defense team, Office of the Prosecutor, and Office of Public Counsel for Victims will submit observations limited to 10 pages by December 12, 2025. This date also marks the end of proceedings before the ICC's judicial recess.
Proceedings are set to resume after a three-week recess, potentially as early as January 5, 2026, though no immediate decisions are guaranteed. This timeline will determine if the trial can proceed.