Former President Rodrigo Duterte’s legal team has filed an appeal with the International Criminal Court (ICC), urging the court to order his “immediate and unconditional release” and challenging its jurisdiction over him.
The 21-page brief argues that the ICC’s Pre-Trial Chamber I erred in applying Article 127(2) of the Rome Statute to assert jurisdiction even after the Philippines withdrew from the treaty in 2019.
Duterte is currently detained in the Hague Penitentiary Institution awaiting trial on charges of crimes against humanity linked to his controversial anti-drug campaign, which human rights groups say may have caused up to 30,000 deaths.
His lawyers claim the ICC misapplied legal principles, including the “lex specialis” doctrine, and set a precedent that allows jurisdiction despite state withdrawal.
The confirmation of charges hearing, originally scheduled for September, was postponed indefinitely after the defense argued that Duterte is unfit to stand trial.
Source: PhilNews24 | November 16, 2025
LEGAL TEAM SEEKS UNCONDITIONAL RELEASE OF DUTERTE FROM ICC PROCEEDINGS
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