Former President Rodrigo Duterte has formally waived his right to attend the upcoming confirmation of charges hearing before the International Criminal Court (ICC), maintaining that accusations linking him to extrajudicial killings are baseless.
In a signed waiver released by his legal counsel, Duterte confirmed he would not appear at the proceedings scheduled from February 23 to 27, 2026, nor participate via video link from detention in The Hague.
“I, Rodrigo Roa Duterte, wish to waive my right to attend the hearing on the confirmation of charges currently fixed for 23–27 February 2026,” Duterte said.
He added that his lawyers had explained the implications of his decision and that he is confident they will contest the prosecution’s evidence on his behalf. Duterte reiterated that he does not recognize the ICC’s jurisdiction, claiming he was unlawfully transported to the Netherlands.
“The claim that I oversaw a policy of extra-judicial killings is an outrageous lie,” Duterte said.
He alleged that he was “forcibly pushed into a jet and renditioned to The Hague in the Netherlands in flagrant contravention” of the Philippine Constitution and sovereignty, and attributed his transfer to the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Citing age and health, Duterte explained his refusal to attend:
“I do not wish to attend legal proceedings that I will forget within minutes. I am old, tired, and frail. I wish for this Court to respect my peace inside the cell it has placed me. I have accepted the fact that I could die in prison. But those that desire this fate for me should know that my heart and soul will always remain in the Philippines.”
Duterte was arrested in Manila on March 11, 2025, under an ICC warrant coursed through Interpol, and made his initial appearance via video link on March 14, 2025.
The confirmation of charges hearing will run from February 23 to 27, 2026, before Pre-Trial Chamber I in The Hague. Prosecutors, defense lawyers, and victims’ representatives will present arguments to determine whether substantial grounds exist to proceed to trial.
The ICC investigation, launched in September 2021, covers alleged crimes in the Philippines from November 2011 to March 16, 2019, including killings in Davao City during Duterte’s mayoralty and nationwide deaths linked to the anti-drug campaign.
Official records cite 6,252 fatalities in anti-drug operations between July 2016 and May 2022, though human rights groups and the UN report significantly higher figures, including cases attributed to unidentified gunmen allegedly tied to law enforcement.