ICC Prosecutor Blocks Duterte’s Move to Halt Proceedings

Rodrigo Duterte in 2021.Photographer: Veejay Villafranca/Bloomberg

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By Cliff Harvey Venzon

September 12, 2025 at 1:36 AM UTC

Updated on

September 12, 2025 at 8:50 AM UTC

A prosecutor for the International Criminal Court has opposed former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s request to indefinitely suspend all legal proceedings against him due to his deteriorating health.

Duterte, 80, is “not fit to stand trial as a result of cognitive impairment in multiple domains,” his lawyer Nicholas Kaufman said in a request submitted to the war crimes court on Thursday. Kaufman said the former leader’s condition will not improve so the pre-trial chamber “must adjourn all legal proceedings in his case indefinitely.”