International Criminal Court judges say Philippine ex-President Rodrigo Duterte fit to stand trial

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Judges at the International Criminal Court have ruled that former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is fit to stand trial on charges of crimes against humanity linked to the so-called war on drugs he waged while in office, the court announced Thursday.

Duterte, 81, denies the charges. His trial is scheduled to open on Nov. 30. The ex-leader is accused of murder and attempted murder for his alleged involvement in dozens of killings as part of the war on drugs. He faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment if convicted.

The court’s Sept. 28 ruling that he is fit to face justice came after an independent panel of experts said that Duterte “has the capacity to understand the charges” and follow the proceedings including the implications of entering a plea — which he will be asked to do when the trial opens, the court said in a statement.

He also is mentally fit to understand evidence and discuss his defense with his lawyers, the panel of experts said. His legal team had previously attempted to get the case thrown out on medical grounds, but judges rejected it and denied a request for him to be released from custody .

Duterte was arrested in the Philippines in March 2025 and sent to the ICC’s headquarters in The Hague following a lengthy ICC investigation into mass killings in crackdowns overseen by Duterte , first when he served as mayor of the southern Philippine city of Davao and later as president.

Duterte, who was among the most feared leaders in Asia while in power, became the first ex-leader from the region to be arrested by the global court.

Estimates of the death toll in the crackdown on drugs during Duterte’s presidential term vary, from the more than 6,000 reported by the national police to up to 30,000 claimed by human rights groups.

Prosecutors say that police and government hit squads carried out dozens of killings at Duterte’s orders, motivated by the promise of money or to avoid becoming targets themselves.

At the time of Duterte's arrest, relatives of victims hailed the move.

“We hope that top police officials and the hundreds of police officers who were involved in the illegal killings should also be placed in custody and punished,” said Randy delos Santos, whose teenage nephew was gunned down by police in a dark riverside alley during an anti-drug operation in suburban Caloocan city in August 2017.