The International Criminal Court (ICC) has unanimously rejected an attempt by former President Rodrigo Duterte’s legal team to disqualify two judges from ruling on the Court’s jurisdiction over the Philippines.

In a decision dated 9 June 2025 and signed by ICC President Judge Tomoko Akane, the plenary of judges dismissed Duterte’s request to remove Judges Reine Adélaïde Sophie Alapini-Gansou and María del Socorro Flores Liera from the Pre-Trial Chamber handling the case The Prosecutor v. Rodrigo Roa Duterte. A detailed explanation of the ruling will be issued at a later date.

The jurisdictional challenge is a key procedural issue in the ongoing proceedings against Duterte, who faces a trial at The Hague, Netherlands over his administration’s anti-drug campaign.