ICC Trial Chamber Rejects Proposed Hearing Schedule for Duterte Trial

The International Criminal Court (ICC) Trial Chamber III, presided over by Judge Joanna Korner, has indicated it is not inclined to adopt the arrangement proposed by the Registry for blocks of hearings with breaks and sitting hours in the trial of former President Rodrigo Duterte. "The Registry has taken the view that we’re going to have what has become, I’m afraid, ultra common in this court, sitting schedule then breaks," Korner stated during the third status conference. "At the moment, we are not minded to do that. We are intending to sit through— we start on November 30th and then end, I think, it’s the middle of the week. Before the Christmas break," she added, emphasizing the need for the trial to proceed as quickly as possible. Duterte's trial is scheduled to commence on November 30. He faces charges of crimes against humanity over alleged killings during his presidency and his tenure as mayor of Davao City. The former leader attended his status conference for the first time on Wednesday. He was arrested in March 2025 at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 and is currently detained at the ICC Detention Centre in Scheveningen, The Hague, Netherlands. During the livestreamed proceedings, Duterte was seen seated behind his defense team, appearing to listen to the proceedings. This development comes as the ICC continues its investigation into alleged extrajudicial killings during the Philippines' war on drugs under Duterte's administration, a period marked by significant human rights concerns and a tense relationship between Manila and the international court. The chamber's decision reflects a desire for an expedited judicial process, potentially impacting the timeline and nature of the proceedings against the former president.