Judges at the International Criminal Court (ICC) have ruled that former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte is fit to attend pre-trial proceedings for alleged crimes against humanity.
The ICC also will hold a hearing on 23 February to decide whether the prosecution's case against Duterte is strong enough to proceed to a trial.
Duterte's lawyers earlier argued that the 80-year-old was unfit to participate in the ICC proceedings citing cognitive impairment. He has been detained at the Hague since March 2025.
He is accused of being responsible for dozens of murders under his so-called war on drugs, during which thousands of small-time drug dealers, users, and others were killed without trial.
Duterte served as president of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022, a period marked by widespread violence and human rights abuses. He justified his war on drugs by claiming that peace and order would stimulate economic development.
Citing opinions from a panel of medical experts, ICC judges expressed satisfaction that Duterte is able effectively to exercise his procedural rights and is therefore fit to take part in the pre-trial proceedings.
The judges added that the mental capacities needed to meaningfully exercise one's procedural and fair trial rights do not have to be at their notionally highest level.
This ruling tells victims that in the reckoning of Duterte at the ICC, their voices will not be sidelined by technical evasions, stated Congresswoman Leila de Lima, a staunch critic of Duterte who was jailed during his presidency on drug charges later found to be false.
Duterte was arrested at Manila airport in March 2025 as his family's alliance with his successor, President Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos Jr., crumbled.
His arrest has polarized opinions among Filipinos. While his deadly drug crackdown has faced severe criticism from civil society, his populist message still resonates with those who feel marginalized by the political elite in Manila.
In May 2025, despite being in prison, Duterte was elected mayor of Davao city. His daughter, Vice-President Sara Duterte, is also expected to run for president in the 2028 elections, where Marcos is ineligible to seek a second term.
