ICC PROBE SUGGESTS DUTERTE MAY HAVE FEIGNED COGNITIVE ISSUES

Former President Rodrigo Duterte is accused by the International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor of faking cognitive impairment to avoid trial, following his performance on simple memory tests.

The ICC filing noted that Duterte deliberately underperformed on assessments, including the “coin in hand test,” which is designed to be so easy that even people with severe memory issues typically pass.

Three independent medical experts concluded that Duterte was “an unreliable historian” of his own health but could still understand charges and instruct his lawyers.

Duterte’s defense disputes the claim of deliberate underperformance, arguing the panel did not explicitly state it was intentional, though it agreed his poor test results did not match his conversational functioning.

The ICC Pre-trial Chamber I has yet to rule on Duterte’s fitness to stand trial, and the full medical report remains unreleased.

Source: PhilNews24 | December 20, 2025