Duterte can file for ‘interim release’
MANILA, Philippines (UPDATE 5) — After years of dismissing international scrutiny, former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte found himself in an unprecedented position, seated before the International Criminal Court (ICC) on March 14, just days after his dramatic arrest in Manila. Once a fierce critic of global legal bodies, the self-professed killer made his first appearance via video link at the courtroom of the ICC in The Hague, the very institution he long ridiculed, to face murder charges related to his “war on drugs.”
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| Photo credit: ICC |
Unlike the combative figure known for his incendiary rhetoric, the 79-year-old appeared noticeably subdued during the hearing. Slouched in his chair, listening through a headset, he absorbed the charges laid against him, allegations stemming from his bloody drug war, which left thousands dead.
This was a stark departure from his previous bravado, a leader who once mocked the ICC’s authority and dared it to act. Just months earlier, in a congressional hearing, he had scoffed at the idea of trial, even inviting imprisonment should he be found guilty. “I’m asking the ICC to hurry up,” he taunted. “And if I am found guilty, I will go to prison and rot there for all time.”
#FlashbackFriday: #Duterte, once defiant, appeared subdued as he faced the ICC for the first time. Back in November 2024, he told the ICC to “hurry up” with its investigation. https://t.co/S3nc5z4e1g pic.twitter.com/ZcDauwbMEy
— WALPHS.com (@walphsdotcom) March 14, 2025
During the proceedings, Duterte’s defense counsel, former executive secretary Salvador Medialdea, pushed back against the circumstances of his arrest. Medialdea denounced what he described as an “extraordinary rendition” and a “kidnapping,” arguing that the former president had not been given sufficient time to consult with his legal counsel.
He also claimed that Duterte had not received a hard copy of his arrest warrant before being transferred to The Hague.
“Two days ago, the whole world has witnessed the degrading fashion in which a former president of a sovereign country was bundled into a private aircraft and summarily transported to the Hague. To us lawyers, this would be called extrajudicial rendition; to the less legally inclined, it was a pure and simple kidnapping. My client was denied all access to the legal recourse in the country of his citizenship and this, all in the nature of political score-settling,” Medialdea said.
“My client is not able to contribute anything to this hearing. Most importantly, he is not able even to tell you that he has been informed of the charges as contained in the arrest warrant for a reason more pertinent to which I alluded in my written request to this honorable pretrial chamber this morning, and which is confidential in nature,” he added.
Medialdea also said that Duterte was suffering from “debilitating medical issues” but Pre-trial Chamber 1 Presiding Judge Iulia Motoc argued that the court doctor had found him to be “fully mentally aware and fit.”
Motoc denied the motions filed by Duterte’s lawyer to postpone his appearance hearing to next week, instead scheduling the former president’s confirmation of charges hearing for September 23, 2025. Still, under Article 60 of the Rome Despite this, Duterte remains entitled under Article 60 of the Rome Statute to seek interim release while awaiting trial.
READ: Can Duterte walk free before September?
Duterte’s path to this moment was defined by years of defiance. He shrugged off accusations of human rights abuses, withdrew the Philippines from the ICC’s jurisdiction, and reveled in his image as an unyielding strongman. But legal mechanisms continued to move despite his resistance, culminating in his arrest and subsequent transfer to the Dutch detention facility reserved for war criminals and those accused of crimes against humanity.
His courtroom demeanor underscored the weight of the situation. Gone were the crude insults and forceful proclamations. Instead, his silence spoke volumes, reinforcing the gravity of the charges he once belittled. For his critics, this was long-overdue accountability. For his stupid loyalists, it was a test of resilience for the man they still ridiculously see as a champion of law and order. — WALPHS.com