Malingering or memory loss? Duterte to appear in ICC courtroom for assessment

Former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte is expected to appear in public for the first time on Wednesday since being transferred to the International Criminal Court 18 months ago to face murder charges related to his war on drugs.

Duterte, 81, served as president from 2016 to 2022, before being charged with crimes against humanity for creating, funding and arming death squads that targeted narcotics peddlers and users. He was arrested and taken to The Hague in March 2025.

On Wednesday, judges will hear arguments about his health and ability to stand trial, which is scheduled to begin in November. His lawyers have argued that he suffers from cognitive decline and is not well enough.

A court-ordered medical assessment has not been made public but Duterte’s defence and the ICC prosecutor reacted to it in documents dated Monday but published on the ICC website on Tuesday.