Appeals judges at the International Criminal Court rejected a challenge by former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte to the court’s jurisdiction, allowing the case against him to continue.
Duterte’s lawyers had argued that the ICC no longer had authority because the Philippines withdrew from the court in 2019. The court has maintained that it can investigate alleged crimes committed while the country was still a member.
The case concerns alleged crimes against humanity connected to killings during Duterte’s anti-drug campaign. Rights groups and families of victims have long sought international scrutiny of the campaign, while Duterte and his supporters have defended the policy as a response to serious crime and drug trafficking.
The jurisdiction ruling does not determine Duterte’s guilt or innocence. It addresses whether the ICC has legal authority to proceed with the case, leaving prosecutors to establish their allegations through the court process.
The decision is another significant procedural step in a case closely watched in the Philippines and internationally because it tests the reach of the ICC after a member state withdraws from the Rome Statute.
Sources: Associated Press and international court reporting, Sept. 16, 2026.
