Former President Rodrigo Duterte has asked the International Criminal Court (ICC) Appeals Chamber to excuse him from attending the public reading of its ruling on his appeal challenging the court’s jurisdiction over his crimes against humanity case.
In a letter dated April 10, Duterte said he would waive his right to appear in person during the April 22 open-court session where the ICC is set to issue its decision.
“I hereby instruct my lawyers to hear the aforementioned judgment in my place,” Duterte said in the signed letter, which was submitted through his legal counsel and later made public by the court on April 13.
The request was filed by Duterte’s lead counsel, Nicholas Kaufman, who asked the chamber to allow the former president to skip the proceedings without stating specific reasons.
The appeal centers on Duterte’s challenge to the ICC’s jurisdiction over alleged crimes against humanity linked to his administration’s war on drugs. His legal team is seeking to overturn a prior ruling by the court’s Pre-Trial Chamber affirming jurisdiction.
Duterte has consistently rejected the ICC’s authority, previously telling the tribunal he does not recognize its jurisdiction. In earlier proceedings, he also cited age and health concerns, describing himself as “old, tired, and frail.”
He is facing charges of murder as a crime against humanity as an “indirect co-perpetrator” in connection with killings linked to the anti-drug campaign.
The ICC is scheduled to issue its ruling on the jurisdiction appeal on April 22.
