The International Criminal Court (ICC) will open confirmation of charges hearings against former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday, February 23, in The Hague, Netherlands.
Hearings, scheduled from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. local time (5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Philippine time), will be held before Pre-Trial Chamber I in Courtroom I and continue on February 24, 26, and 27.
The ICC outlined time allocations for submissions:
- Prosecution: 30 minutes opening, 2 hours 30 minutes submissions, 30 minutes closing
- Victims’ representatives (CLRV): 30 minutes opening, 1 hour 30 minutes submissions, 30 minutes closing
- Defence: 30 minutes opening, 3 hours 30 minutes submissions, 30 minutes closing
The purpose of the hearing is to determine whether sufficient evidence exists to establish substantial grounds that Duterte committed crimes against humanity. If confirmed, the case will proceed to trial.
Duterte is detained at the ICC Detention Center in Scheveningen on charges linked to killings during his war on drugs, both as Davao City mayor and as president.
The ICC recently named Senators Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa and Bong Go, along with former police and government officials, as alleged co-perpetrators in a “common plan” to target alleged criminals through violent means.
The Chamber set February 16 as the deadline for submission of arguments and objections. Hearings will be streamed online with a 30-minute delay via the ICC website, Facebook, and YouTube.