Rodrigo Duterte required to attend trial in-person daily: ICC
Former president Rodrigo Duterte is required by the International Criminal Court Trial Chamber III to be physically present every day in the courtroom once his trial begins on Nov. 30.
Although the court approved Duterte's request to skip the fifth and last status conference on his crimes against humanity case on Monday, Nov. 2, presiding judge Joanna Korner said the approval did not extend to his trial.
"Mr. Haynes, we've agreed exceptionally because this is not likely to be a particularly lengthy... conference that Mr. Duterte need not attend this morning," Korner told defense counsel Peter Haynes.
"But once the actual trial starts, we will expect, as we said, attendance on a daily basis," Korner said on Monday.
On Oct. 9, the ICC deemed the former president fit to stand trial.
Duterte was personally present during his last two pre-trial hearings held on Sept. 16 and Oct. 13, respectively. He remained silent throughout the proceedings and just listened.
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The fifth status conference tackled the trial's daily sitting schedule, the prosecution and defense counsels' opening statements, list of witnesses, video testimonies, among other items on the agenda.
Duterte is facing three counts of crimes against humanity in connection with the alleged extrajudicial killings during his administration's so-called war on drugs. The charges also cover actions of the supposed Davao Death Squad when Duterte served as mayor of Davao City.
He was arrested on March 11, 2025 in Manila under an arrest warrant issued by the ICC and was immediately flown to the ICC detention center in The Hague, Netherlands, where he has been detained since.
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