THE HAGUE, Netherlands — The International Criminal Court (ICC) Trial Chamber III has ordered concerned parties to submit their observations on the continued detention of former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte by May 8, following the confirmation of charges against him.
In an order dated May 1, the Chamber instructed the Office of the Prosecutor, Duterte’s defense counsel, the Legal Representatives of the Victims, and the Office of the Public Counsel for Victims to provide their positions on whether the former president should remain in detention or be released, with or without conditions.
The Chamber noted that, under ICC procedures, pre-trial detention must be reviewed at least every 120 days. It added that recent developments after the annual detention review warranted fresh submissions from all parties, including any arguments related to changed circumstances.
Trial Chamber III is also scheduled to hold a status conference on May 27 regarding the crimes against humanity charges linked to Duterte’s anti-illegal drugs campaign. Proceedings will be streamed on the ICC website with a 30-minute delay.
On April 23, the ICC confirmed charges of crimes against humanity against the 81-year-old Duterte. The charges include three counts of murder and attempted murder allegedly committed during different phases of his political leadership, covering incidents in Davao City, nationwide operations targeting “high-value” individuals, and barangay clearance operations between 2013 and 2018.
Duterte’s legal team has filed a request to appeal the Pre-Trial Chamber’s decision confirming the charges. In a filing dated April 29, defense counsel Nicholas Kaufman argued that the chamber committed legal and procedural errors, including its approach to defining the scope of charges and its assessment of evidence.
Earlier proceedings show that Pre-Trial Chamber I denied Duterte’s request for interim release and ordered his continued detention. An annual review hearing was conducted in February, during which all parties submitted observations on his detention status.
Duterte was arrested in the Philippines on March 11, 2025, and has since been held at the ICC Detention Centre in Scheveningen, The Hague.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
