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ICC approves ex Philippine President Duterte’s request to skip pre-trial hearing
The ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I ruled that the proceedings will move forward without Duterte's presence
- PUBLISHED: Fri 20 Feb 2026, 1:11 PM UPDATED: Fri 20 Feb 2026, 1:20 PM
The ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I has approved former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s request to skip the confirmation of charges hearing in his case on February 23.
The chamber ruled that the proceedings will move forward without his presence.
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According to the chamber, this applies to all sessions of the hearing on the confirmation of charges which is scheduled from February 23 to 27, Inquirer.net reported.
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The International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecution earlier opposed former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte’s bid to waive his right to appear at the confirmation of charges hearing, arguing that there’s no valid reason for him not to appear in person in court.
In a six-paged filing dated February 19, as reported by Inquirer.net, Deputy Prosecutor Mame Mandiaye Niang argued that Duterte's request falls short of the legal threshold required for the proceedings to move forward without him physically present in court.
“Duterte primarily seeks to waive his right to appear on the basis that he does not ‘recognise the jurisdiction’ of the Court, states that he was ‘kidnapped’, and claims that the charges against him constitute ‘an outrageous lie’ invented by his political opponents. These statements are a continuation of Mr. Duterte’s rejection of the legitimacy of the proceedings against him before the Court,” the filing read.
