The Appeals Chamber of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has upheld the Court’s jurisdiction over the case against former President Rodrigo Duterte, denying the defense’s appeal.
The ruling, delivered Wednesday, April 22, affirms the October 23, 2025, decision of Pre-Trial Chamber I, which rejected Duterte’s challenge to the ICC’s authority.
Presiding Judge Luz del Carmen Ibáñez Carranza said the Chamber found no reversible error in the earlier decision and rejected all four grounds of appeal. The defense’s request for Duterte’s immediate release was deemed moot.
Duterte’s legal team had argued that the ICC lost jurisdiction after the Philippines withdrew from the Rome Statute in 2019.
The Court maintained, however, that it retains jurisdiction over alleged crimes committed while the country was still a State Party.
Duterte faces charges of crimes against humanity, including murder and attempted murder, allegedly committed between Nov. 1, 2011, and March 16, 2019, as part of the government’s anti-drug campaign.
With the jurisdiction issue settled, the case will proceed to the next stage following the February 2026 confirmation of charges hearing. (Argyll Geducos)
