Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte appeared in person before judges at the International Criminal Court on Wednesday, attending a pretrial hearing focused on his health and mental fitness to stand trial, according to DW.
Duterte, 81, faces charges of crimes against humanity related to hundreds of killings during his “war on drugs.” The allegations cover the period from 2011 to 2019, when he was mayor of Davao and later president of the Philippines. He denies the charges.
His lawyers told the court that Duterte suffers from “significant memory impairment” that prevents him from retaining recent information and reliably accessing his memories. They have also cited poor health. Duterte had missed several hearings since his arrest in March 2025 and had previously appeared by videolink.
The prosecution argued that Duterte remained capable of meaningfully exercising his procedural and fair-trial rights and was fit for trial. Judges ruled in January that he was fit enough to follow proceedings and requested that he attend court in person.
Prosecutors accuse Duterte of responsibility for a systematic campaign that led to at least 30,000 deaths, many during anti-drug raids, according to DW. His trial is scheduled for November this year, while the pretrial hearing was intended to allow judges to consider arguments about his condition and determine whether he is mentally fit to proceed.