The International Criminal Court has canceled the third status conference for the crimes against humanity case of former president Rodrigo Duterte, four days before the scheduled hearing set for 14 July. 

The Trial Chamber III decided after both the ICC prosecutors and Duterte’s defense team raised no concerns or applications that require “the court’s attention at this stage of the proceedings.”

Initially, the chamber set two more status conferences — 14 July and 7 September — ahead of the ex-leader’s trial slated for 30 November. 

Due to the cancellation, the chamber decided to move the next status hearing to 16 September, barely two months before the trial proper. 

The ICC generally holds a status conference to address procedural issues, such as setting deadlines for the observations of all the parties, including the victims’ camp, and to streamline the proceedings before the actual trial begins.

The first status conference was held on 27 May, followed by the second on 23 June. 

The proceedings usually run from 10 a.m. to 12 noon local time (4 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the Philippines) and are open to the public through the ICC’s official page on Facebook and YouTube.