Duterte to make initial appearance before ICC on March 14
Former president Rodrigo Duterte will make an initial appearance before the International Criminal Court on Friday, March 14, at 14:00 (9 p.m. Philippine time).
In a media advisory, the ICC said Duterte would appear before Pre-Trial Chamber I, where judges would verify his identity and the language in which he would be able to follow the proceedings.
He will be informed of the charges against him and of his rights under the ICC Rome Statute.
Pre-Trial Chamber I is composed of Judge Iulia Antoanella Motoc, who's also the presiding judge, and Judges Reine Adélaïde Sophie Alapini-Gansou and María del Socorro Flores Liera.
A copy of the court order can be found in the gallery below.
Duterte is suspected of murder qualified as a crime against humanity, which was allegedly committed between Nov. 1, 2011 and March 16, 2019. It covers his days as president, Davao City mayor, and, allegedly, the head of the Davao Death Squad, according to the ICC.
The hearing will be streamed on the ICC website with a 30-minute delay. It can be followed in English and French.
Visitors at the public gallery will be limited and on a "first time, first served" basis, according to the ICC.
Duterte named former executive secretary Salvador Medialdea as one of his legal counsels.
He and Medialdea went to The Hague together on board chartered flight RP-C5219 on March 12.
The following day, the former president signed an ICC document registering Medialdea as his legal counsel.
Duterte's arrest
Duterte was arrested on March 11 and was brought to the Villamor Air Base upon arriving at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport from Hong Kong.
His arrest had been years in the making, beginning in October 2016 when then-ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said they were watching the Philippines closely as killings under the Duterte administration were on the rise just four months since he assumed office.
As stated in the warrant obtained by The Philippine STAR, he was arrested for murder, torture, and rape—which are part of the 15 forms of crimes against humanity under the Rome Statute—in connection with his administration's bloody war on drugs called Oplan Tokhang that saw the execution of thousands of suspected drug peddlers, users, and small-time criminals.
He left the country at 11:03 p.m. of the same day and arrived at the Rotterdam The Hague airport at 11:54 p.m. (Philippine time) the following day.
Duterte could be the first Asian former head of state to be indicted by the ICC.
Following this appearance, a confirmation of charges hearing will follow, during which the judges will decide whether the prosecution has presented enough evidence for the case to go to trial.
If the charges are confirmed, it could be months before the case eventually goes on trial, and years before a final judgment is rendered.
