THE DUTERTE ICC TRIAL BEGINS NOVEMBER 30. HERE IS WHERE THE CASE STANDS TODAY.

Former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s trial for crimes against humanity is scheduled to open on November 30, 2026 at the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

The date was set by Trial Chamber III on May 27, 2026. It has not changed since.

Between now and the trial, there are three status conferences and one medical evaluation still to come. The last of them will decide whether the November 30 date holds or slips.

WHAT THE CHARGES ARE

Three counts of crimes against humanity for murder and attempted murder.

Count 1: The murder of 19 people between 2013 and 2016 while Duterte was mayor of Davao City, in connection with what prosecutors describe as the Davao Death Squad.

Count 2: The murder of 14 alleged high-value targets nationwide in 2016 and 2017, when Duterte was President.

Count 3: The murder and attempted murder of at least 45 people during barangay clearance operations between 2016 and 2018, when Duterte was President.

The charges cover the period from November 1, 2011 to March 16, 2019, one day before the Philippines’ withdrawal from the Rome Statute took effect. In total, the confirmation of charges decision covers 78 victims across 49 specific incidents.

Prosecutors have said they may add more incidents and victims within the framework of the confirmed charges before the final evidence deadline on August 31.

The Pre-Trial Chamber I unanimously confirmed all three counts on April 23, 2026. That is the moment the case formally moved from pre-trial to trial.

THE TRIAL CHAMBER

Trial Chamber III is composed of three judges.

Judge Joanna Korner, of the United Kingdom, presides. Judge Keebong Paek, of South Korea, and Judge Nicolas Guillou, of France, complete the bench.

Korner has been the most public face of the chamber. She has warned counsel from both sides against trying the case in the media, and directed them to raise concerns in court rather than through interviews. She said the case will be decided on evidence, not on public opinion.

THE DEFENSE HAS CHANGED HANDS

Nicholas Kaufman, the British-Israeli lawyer who led Duterte’s defense through the confirmation of charges hearing in February, is no longer lead counsel. His one-year appointment ended on March 31, 2026.

His successor is Peter Haynes, KC, a British King’s Counsel based at St. Philips Chambers in Birmingham.

Haynes is best known for securing a rare ICC acquittal for former Democratic Republic of the Congo Vice President Jean-Pierre Bemba in 2018.

The ICC formally recognized his appointment on May 15, 2026.

He appeared for the first time in the Duterte case at the first status conference on May 27.

Haynes has signaled two things clearly.

First, that he intends to reopen the fitness-to-stand-trial question, arguing that Duterte’s health has continued to deteriorate.

Second, that he believes the defense needs 14 to 19 months of preparation after the confirmation of charges, which would push the trial past November 2026.

The chamber has not agreed with the second argument. It has, however, ordered the fitness reassessment Haynes asked for.

THE MEDICAL PANEL

On June 12, 2026, Trial Chamber III ordered a new medical examination of Duterte.

The same three-expert panel that assessed him during the pre-trial phase has been reactivated.

The panel is composed of experts in forensic psychiatry, geriatric and behavioral neurology, and neuropsychology.

Their December 2025 reports will serve as the baseline.

The chamber has directed them to determine whether Duterte’s condition has changed, and whether he can physically and psychologically withstand a full-time trial schedule.

The medical reports are due August 18. The ICC Registry is expected to file them on August 24.

The parties have until August 31 to submit observations, with the prosecution granted an additional week for its filing due to workload.

If the panel finds Duterte unfit to stand trial, the November 30 date is not guaranteed to hold.

THE STATUS CONFERENCES

Three more status conferences are scheduled before the trial.

July 14, 2026. This will be the third status conference. It is expected to check compliance with court-imposed deadlines and address remaining issues.

September 7, 2026. Korner has singled this one out as particularly significant.

By then, the medical panel’s report will have been filed. The prosecution will have delivered its trial brief. The defense will have received its observation period.

Korner has told Haynes she expects Duterte to personally attend this conference unless medical issues prevent it.

October 13 and November 2, 2026. Two additional conferences on the calendar, which the chamber said may be vacated if there is nothing left to discuss.

Duterte has waived his right to be present at every hearing so far.

Rome Statute rules require his presence at the actual trial.

WHAT THE PROSECUTION AND DEFENSE ARE PREPARING

The prosecution has until August 31 to file its final list of witnesses and evidence, its trial brief, and to include any additional incidents in the case.

Prosecutors have said they expect to call between 60 and 70 witnesses at trial.

The defense has until October 30 to file its indication of issues and lines of defense.

The Common Legal Representatives of the Victims must file the victims’ trial brief by September 28.

Any suggestions on amendments to the conduct of proceedings had to be filed by June 5. That deadline has passed.

THE JURISDICTIONAL QUESTION IS SETTLED

On April 22, 2026, the ICC Appeals Chamber rejected all four grounds of the defense’s jurisdictional appeal. Three of the grounds were rejected unanimously.

On the second ground, the chamber ruled by a 4-1 majority, with Judge Gocha Lordkipanidze partially dissenting.

The appeals judges affirmed that the court retains jurisdiction over crimes allegedly committed during the period the Philippines was a State Party to the Rome Statute. The ICC has said this ruling is final and not subject to further appeal.

The Philippines withdrew from the Rome Statute on March 17, 2019. The ICC’s jurisdiction over the case runs up to March 16, 2019, the day before.

WHERE DUTERTE IS NOW

Rodrigo Duterte, 81, remains in ICC custody at the detention facility in The Hague. He has been there since March 12, 2025.

He has been denied interim release multiple times.

The most recent rejection was on October 10, 2025, when the Pre-Trial Chamber ruled that his continued detention was necessary.

The Appeals Chamber affirmed that ruling on November 28, 2025.

In May 2025, he was re-elected as mayor of Davao City in absentia.

WHAT COULD STILL CHANGE THE NOVEMBER 30 DATE

The medical panel’s report on August 18 is the primary variable.

If the panel determines that Duterte cannot physically or psychologically sustain a full-time trial schedule, Trial Chamber III must issue a separate fitness ruling for the trial phase.

That ruling could postpone the trial.

If the panel finds him fit and no other pending matter derails the schedule, the trial opens on November 30, runs Monday to Friday until the judicial recess, and continues into 2027 and beyond.

Judges have consistently held that Duterte’s age and health do not, on their own, meet the ICC’s high threshold for finding a defendant unfit. The court has never found any defendant fully unfit for trial, elderly or otherwise.

The date on the calendar is November 30. Whether it holds is a question the chamber will answer between August 18 and late September.