Former President Rodrigo Duterte’s defense team has raised privacy concerns over a request by prosecutors of the International Criminal Court (ICC) seeking access to keys and other personal items seized following his arrest, warning that the materials may include private belongings of his family members.

Lead defense counsel Peter Haynes, in a filing dated June 26, 2026, opposed the prosecution’s second request for access to materials held by the ICC Registry, describing it as a “fishing expedition” that came “far too late” in the proceedings.

The request involves items taken from Duterte following his arrest and transfer to ICC custody on 12 March 2025.

The prosecution’s request, filed on 9 June 2026, seeks access to several materials, including “all keys in the Registry’s custody,” according to the public redacted version of the Registry’s observations submitted on 25 June.

Duterte’s lawyers argued that granting access to the items could affect the privacy rights of third parties, particularly the former president’s relatives, because the keys were seized while he was traveling with family members.

The defense said the keys “may provide access to material belonging to, or concerning, his relatives,” raising concerns that prosecutors could examine personal items unrelated to the charges against Duterte.

The lawyers also noted that the prosecution had been aware of the seized materials since 14 March 2025, when the ICC Registry submitted its initial report on Duterte’s arrest.

According to the defense, the existing chain-of-custody documentation already provides an official inventory of the seized items, making the additional request unnecessary.

The ICC Registry, for its part, said that if Trial Chamber III approves the request, the materials would be transferred from the Detention Section to the Court Management Section and secured in the Registry vault before being made available to the prosecution for consultation or as otherwise directed by the Chamber.

The Registry’s observations were filed confidentially and ex parte, meaning they were accessible only to the prosecution, defense, and Registry. A public version released on June 26 contained redactions to protect sensitive information.

The defense also asked Trial Chamber III to impose a June 30 deadline for any further prosecution requests involving Registry-held materials, arguing that continued requests could cause unnecessary delays in the proceedings.

The ICC case against Duterte stems from an arrest warrant issued over allegations of crimes against humanity linked to his administration’s anti-illegal drug campaign.

The trial is scheduled to begin on 30 November 2026, before Trial Chamber III, composed of Presiding Judge Joanna Korner, Judge Keebong Paek, and Judge Nicolas Guillou.

The proceedings will mark the first time a former Philippine president faces trial before the ICC and the first case involving a former Southeast Asian head of state before the international tribunal.