Rodrigo Duterte ICC trial scheduled to begin November 30

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has scheduled the trial of former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte to begin on November 30, 2026. Duterte, who has been in ICC custody since March 2025, faces three counts of crimes against humanity related to his administration's war on drugs between 2016 and 2022.

On the first day of proceedings, Trial Chamber III will first verify that Duterte understands the charges and record his formal plea. Following this, the court has allocated nine hours for opening statements: six hours for the prosecution and three hours for the Common Legal Representatives of the Victims (CLRV). The first prosecution witness is expected to testify immediately following these openings.

In a recent status conference, the ICC rejected a defense request to cap the prosecution's evidence at 10,000 items. Presiding Judge Joanna Korner ruled that such a limit would violate disclosure obligations. The prosecution intends to present a dataset consisting of over 62,000 items, including 320,000 pages and 1,000 audio-visual materials.