Ex-Philippines President Duterte Challenges ICC Jurisdiction, Seeks Case Dismissal

Rodrigo Duterte, the former president of the Philippines, has filed an appeal challenging last week’s ruling by the International Criminal Court (ICC)

That upheld its jurisdiction to proceed with the case against him. He is also seeking his immediate release, according to court filings made public on Wednesday.

The ICC’s pre-trial chamber had ruled that the court retains jurisdiction over alleged crimes committed during Duterte’s controversial “war on drugs,” rejecting his legal team’s argument that the Philippines’ 2019 withdrawal from the ICC stripped the court of authority to investigate.

Duterte, who led the Philippines from 2016 to 2022, was arrested in March and transferred to The Hague under an ICC warrant linking him to thousands of extrajudicial killings carried out during the anti-drug campaign. He and his lawyers have consistently claimed the arrest was illegal and politically motivated.

In their appeal, Duterte’s legal team has urged the ICC to overturn the decision allowing the case to proceed, arguing that the court lacks jurisdiction and that there is “no valid legal basis” for the charges. They have also called for Duterte’s “immediate and unconditional release.”

Additionally, the defense has submitted a separate request to suspend the proceedings, citing the 80-year-old’s alleged cognitive decline. The ICC is expected to review Duterte’s medical fitness before deciding on the next steps, with a ruling anticipated by mid-November.