Malacañang Reports Duterte in 'Good Condition' After ICC Appearance

The Palace on Thursday said former President Rodrigo Duterte appeared to be in good condition and seems to have accepted his current legal situation following his personal appearance before the International Criminal Court (ICC) at The Hague in the Netherlands on September 16. Duterte was arrested by Philippine authorities in Pasay City and handed over to the ICC on March 11, 2025. He was flown via a chartered plane to The Hague, where he will be tried for crimes against humanity in relation to his "war on drugs" during his time as mayor of Davao City and as President of the Philippines. "First of all to our countrymen, we saw that former president Duterte is in good condition. And we saw that it seems that he has accepted that the ICC hearings are continuing. So, that's all," Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said in a media briefing. The former president physically appeared before ICC judges for the first time for the third status conference of his case. He had previously made an initial appearance via videoconference in the same month. Duterte's family and allies have repeatedly slammed his arrest and subsequent detention. The Palace has maintained that there was nothing illegal or political about the former president’s turnover to the ICC. President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. stated on the night Duterte was flown to The Hague, "Interpol asked for help, and we obliged because we have commitments to the Interpol which we have to fulfill. If we don’t do that, they will no longer help us with other cases involving Filipino fugitives abroad." Information Source: GMA News Philippines