THE HAGUE: Former Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte will face trial at the International Criminal Co­­u­­rt after judges on Thursday confirmed charges of cri­mes against humanity over his so-called “war on drugs.”

In a separate procedure, the ICC Appeals Court on Wednesday confirmed the court had jurisdiction in the case, quashing a challenge from the defence.

Duterte would be the first Asian former head of state to face trial at the ICC, which prosecutes individuals for the world’s worst crimes such as war crimes and crimes against humanity.

ICC pre-trial judges “unanimously confirmed all the charges... against Rodrigo Roa Duterte and committed him to trial,” the court said in a statement.

81-year-old is unlikely to appear in the dock at The Hague

A trial of Duterte would come as the court faces the most difficult time in its 24-year history, with the United States sanctioning key judges and officials after the ICC issued arrest warrants for Israel’s prime minister over the Gaza war.

However, it is unlikely the 81-year-old Duterte would actually appear in the dock in The Hague.

His defence team says he is too frail mentally to follow proceedings. He did not appear at a week of hearings in February to assess the validity of the charges.

The only time he has been seen since his arrest was an initial appearance via video, where he seemed confused and tired, his speech barely audible.

Published in Dawn, April 24th, 2026