The ICC Courtroom
DAVAO CITY —Former Philippine President Rodrigo Roa Duterte is set to make his initial appearance before the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Friday, March 14, 2025, at 14:00 (The Hague local time/ at 9 p.m. (Philippine time) before Pre-Trial Chamber I.
Duterte was arrested by Philippine authorities on March 7, 2025, in compliance with an ICC-issued warrant that was initially under seal. He was surrendered to ICC custody on March 12, 2025, and is now being held at the Court’s detention center in The Hague.
The former Philippine leader is suspected of murder as a crime against humanity, allegedly committed in the Philippines between November 1, 2011, and March 16, 2019. During this period, he served in various roles, including President of the Philippines, Mayor of Davao City, and, allegedly, the leader of the Davao Death Squad, an infamous vigilante group accused of carrying out extrajudicial killings.
During the initial appearance, the ICC judges will verify Duterte’s identity and determine the language in which he can follow the proceedings. They will also inform him of the charges against him under the Rome Statute, the treaty establishing the ICC, and outline his rights as a suspect before the Court.
The Pre-Trial Chamber I presiding over the case is composed of:
- Judge Iulia Antoanella Motoc (Presiding Judge)
- Judge Reine Adélaïde Sophie Alapini-Gansou
- Judge María del Socorro Flores Liera
