The International Criminal Court Appeals Chamber will release its ruling on 22 April on former President Rodrigo Duterte’s appeal challenging the court’s jurisdiction over the investigation into the Philippines’ war on drugs.
In a three-page scheduling order issued Thursday, the chamber set the public delivery of its judgment at 11 a.m. in The Hague, Netherlands. The ICC’s Pre-Trial Chamber I had earlier dismissed Duterte’s jurisdictional challenge, stating it has authority to “exercise its jurisdiction in the current case over the crimes attributed to Mr. Duterte that occurred within the territory of the Philippines while it was still a State Party.”
Duterte’s legal team filed a notice of appeal and submitted its appeal brief on 14 November 2025, arguing that the Philippines, having withdrawn from the ICC in 2019, should be exempt from investigation, particularly for acts committed after its exit. His lawyers also sought his immediate and unconditional release.
Meanwhile, Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte said his father is being well cared for while in ICC custody.
"He's being well taken care of. The doctors and nurses are good inside," he said in an interview.
The younger Duterte added that the former president advised Filipinos to exercise restraint amid the economic situation.
"He said there really isn't any good way to handle the current economic crisis. In Bisaya, he said 'pugong lang' – restrain from spending, restrain everything," he said.