List of Important Dates on Rodrigo Duterte ICC Case ahead of September Trial
RODRIGO DUTERTE ICC CASE – Here are the deadlines and the important dates set by the International Criminal Court ahead of the September hearing.
The legal team of former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte for his ICC case has been finalized. Thus, Vice Pres. Sara Duterte has already returned to the Philippines where an impeachment trial seemingly awaits her. In The Hague, Netherlands, the former President is detained amid facing an alleged crimes against humanity over his administration’s war on drugs.
Previously, the ICC also confirmed its “ongoing” investigation of the other personalities linked to Duterte’s drug war. The former President is under a regular detention at the Hague Penitentiary Institution for more than a month now. Previously, he was monitored at the hospital wing of the ICC detention facility for a few weeks.
Amid the Rodrigo Duterte ICC case, the former President repeatedly insists that everything he did was for the Filipino people. Vice Pres. Sara Duterte and the former President’s long-time partner, Honeylet Avanceña, previously assured FPRRD’s supporters that the former President is fine inside the ICC detention facility.
Duterte made his initial appearance before the pre-trial chamber of the ICC last March 15 remotely. The next phase in the pre-trial part is the confirmation of charges which is still five months away from now — on September 23.
Recently, the International Criminal Court issued the deadlines and the important dates with regards to the Rodrigo Duterte ICC case ahead of the confirmation of charges on September. Based on a report on Inquirer, here are the important dates:
March 21, 2021: The Chamber sought and indicated the important dates and deadlines for the observations from the parties and participation on various matters related to the conduct of the proceedings.
April 2, 2025: The Registry filed its observation on the participation of the victims to the proceedings.
April 4, 2025: The Prosecution filed submissions on the conduct of proceedings.
April 7, 2025: The camp of former Pres. Duterte responded to the observations on the participation of the victims to the proceedings.
April 8, 2025: The camp of former Pres. Duterte responded to the Prosecution’s submissions on the conduct of proceedings.
April 30, 2025: The deadline for the prosecution to disclose evidence by categorizing it in the following themes — 1. contextual elements; 2. each alleged crime; and 3. each alleged mode of liability.
May 2, 2025: The deadline set by the camp of Duterte for the Prosecution’s observation on the three evidentiary themes.
May 9, 2025: The prosecution must submit applications to withhold the identity of witnesses by this date.
July 1, 2025: The Prosecution needs to complete the disclosure process no later than July 1. This includes all the evidence it intends to. They must also submit the number of witnesses against the former President not later than May 9, 2025.
May 23, 2025: The deadline set if the Prosecution wants to submit requests for redactions, non-disclosure of witnesses’ identities, or non-disclosure of entire items of evidence.
This is the same deadline for the Prosecution to conclude the risk assessments and implementation of measures to protect witnesses and persons at risk.
July 1, 2025: The Prosecution must complete the disclosure process not later than July 1. This is inclusive of all the evidence it intends to use at the confirmation of charges, including the totality of the witness statements and translations.
July 9, 2025: Should any issue arise from the disclosure of evidence, the parties should raise the matter through a formal filing not later than July 9.
July 16, 2025: The parties can bring any challenge to Documents Containing Charges (DCC) by way of a formal filing which should be submitted not later than July 16.
July 24, 2025: Based on the report, this is the deadline set for the camp of former Pres. Duterte to respond to the questions raised by the Chamber in an order dated March 21, including whether he plans to present evidence during the Confirmation of Charges, and what kind of pieces of evidence.
August 20, 2025: The Prosecution’s deadline in case it intends to amend the charges as stated under Rule 121 (4) of the ICC Rules of Procedure and Evidence. This rule requires that any amendment to the charges should be submitted 15 days before the confirmiation hearing together with a list of evidence. This is so to give the defense, in this case Duterte, adequate preparation time.
September 5, 2026: The deadline set for the camp of Duterte to respond in case the Prosecution intends to amend the charges.
Previously, Malacañang aired its belief that Duterte’s lawyer will find it hard to defend his “admissions”. The ICC legal team of the former President is led by British-Israeli lawyer Nicholas Kaufman. French lawyer Dov Jacobs is also part of the team as an associate counsel.