Duterte makes courtroom debut as defense struggles with mountain of evidence

Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte appeared in person at the ICC for the first time as his lawyers warned they cannot review nearly 20,000 evidence items before his trial begins in November.THE HAGUE, Netherlands (CN) — Rodrigo Duterte made his first in-person appearance at the ICC in The Hague on Wednesday as his defense warned it was buried in evidence with trial over his violent crackdown in the Philippines just months away.The former Philippine president faces crimes against humanity charges over antidrug killings at the International Criminal Court. Prosecutors seek 193 hours to question witnesses; the defense wants a smaller, reorganized case file it can work through before trial.“This is the first time that Mr. Duterte has been in this court,” presiding Judge Joanna Korner said, allowing him to leave without asking permission.With medical reports indicating limits on hearing hours, the judge pressed prosecutors to trim overlapping testimony and identify their essential evidence. She warned that otherwise, the court would scrutinize their witness list at the next status conference.“And I hate to make this confession, but we haven’t got a prayer of reading 20,000 items of evidence by a trial date that starts at the end of November,” defense lawyer Peter Haynes said.The prosecution argues it has already cut its case and must prove both individual killings and a broader pattern of violence. With no agreed facts and uncertainty over which witnesses will appear, it says narrowing the evidence too far risks leaving gaps at trial.Duterte built his political reputation as Davao’s tough-talking mayor before winning the presidency in 2016 on promises to crush drugs and crime. Thousands died in the ensuing police operations and vigilante-style killings. Prosecutors claim he oversaw an organized killing campaign; his defense has challenged both that account and the credibility of cooperating witnesses.The court opened its investigation in 2021, examining suspected crimes committed while the Philippines was still a member. Duterte’s withdrawal from the court, effective in 2019, did not erase its authority over that period. Philippine authorities arrested him in Manila in March 2025 and handed him over to the Hague-based tribunal, which prosecutes atrocities when national authorities cannot or will not.Judges later found enough evidence to send him to trial, without deciding guilt. He had been allowed to skip the earlier hearing on whether the charges should proceed.The defense describes the mountain of evidence as a paper chase through disconnected pages, missing material and unreadable documents. The prosecution pushes back, pointing to searchable indexes and years spent organizing records. Korner gave the defense seven days to spell out its complaints in writing and prosecutors another seven to respond.In a separate ruling Wednesday, judges ordered Duterte to remain behind bars, finding the approaching trial heightened the risks of flight and witness interference. The medical reports gave them no reason to release him.Trial remains set for Nov. 30, with Duterte’s fitness to stand trial still awaiting a decision. The judge promised written rulings on pending requests concerning additional charges and further medical examinations but gave no release date.Courthouse News reporter Eunseo Hong is based in the Netherlands.Subscribe to our free newslettersOur weekly newsletter Closing Arguments offers the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world, while the monthly Under the Lights dishes the legal dirt from Hollywood, sports, Big Tech and the arts.Additional Reads