Philippines ex-President Duterte fit to stand trial, ICC rules

Judges at the International Criminal Court in The Hague have determined that Rodrigo Duterte is mentally capable of standing trial on charges of crimes against humanity tied to his anti-drugs campaign while president of the Philippines. A panel of independent medical experts examined the 81-year-old and concluded he can understand the evidence and work with his legal team, the court said. Duterte, who served from 2016 to 2022, was arrested in the Philippines in March 2025 and transferred to ICC custody after investigators conducted a lengthy probe. He has denied the allegations, saying his orders to police were aimed at self-defence during efforts to combat illegal drugs. Prosecutors allege police and government hit squads carried out dozens of killings at his direction, driven by financial incentives or to avoid becoming targets themselves. The defence had sought dismissal of the case on medical grounds, arguing significant memory loss left Duterte unable to take in new information or reliably recall past events. The judges rejected that claim and also denied a request for the former president to be released from custody. The trial is scheduled to begin on November 30. Estimates of fatalities during the drug crackdown vary widely: official police figures report more than 6,000 deaths, while human rights organisations have put the number as high as 30,000. If convicted on the charges he faces, Duterte could receive a sentence of life imprisonment. He is the first Asian ex-leader to be arrested by the ICC, which prosecutes alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.