Former President Rodrigo Duterte did not attend the fifth and final status conference held on Monday, November 2, ahead of his upcoming trial before the International Criminal Court (ICC).
ICC Trial Chamber III Presiding Judge Joanna Korner announced that the chamber approved Duterte’s request to skip the pre-trial conference, though she stressed that his daily presence at the trial hearings remains mandatory.
Defense counsel Peter Haynes confirmed agreement with the court’s stance, assuring the chamber that the former president will be present for the proceedings.
Duterte is facing charges of crimes against humanity tied to deaths stemming from his administration’s controversial war on drugs.
The trial is set to commence on November 30.