The International Criminal Court (ICC) has denied former President Rodrigo Duterte’s request to commission a new independent expert report assessing the risk factors of his continued detention under the Rome Statute.
In a five-page ruling dated January 7, Pre-Trial Chamber I said the experts cited by Duterte’s lawyers had already completed their assessment of his fitness to stand trial.
“The Panel has fulfilled its mandate with the submission of the Panel’s Reports, which are available to the Defence and, should it wish to do so, can be referred to in its observations regarding the review of Mr Duterte’s detention,” the tribunal said.
“In these circumstances, the Chamber sees no reason to order the Panel to prepare any additional report that exceeds its mandate,” it added.
Duterte’s team had asked the ICC to prepare a new report using existing medical findings to evaluate his ability to actualize risk factors outlined in Article 58(1)(b) of the Rome Statute.
The chamber reiterated that assessing such risks is a legal question for judges, not medical experts.
“Considering that the observations of the parties and participants regarding the periodical review of the detention of Mr. Duterte will be submitted by 9 January 2026, the Chamber finds that any additional expert report is neither appropriate nor necessary for its adjudication,” it said.
The ICC had previously rejected Duterte’s bid for interim release, confirming that his continued detention remains necessary under the statute.