Former President Rodrigo Duterte was seen publicly on Wednesday, September 16, for the first time since his initial appearance before the International Criminal Court in March 2025, as he personally attended a status conference ahead of his trial.

Duterte appeared before ICC Trial Chamber III in The Hague for the third status conference in the crimes against humanity case against him. It was his first time attending a status conference in person after waiving his appearance at the previous two hearings.

His previous public court appearance was on March 14, 2025, two days after he was surrendered to ICC custody. Duterte participated in that initial appearance through video link.

During Wednesday's proceeding, Presiding Judge Joanna Korner noted that it was Duterte's first time inside the courtroom and said he could leave during the proceeding without first seeking the chamber's permission.

Much of the conference focused on preparations for the trial, including the prosecution's witnesses and evidence.

Prosecutors have requested about 193 hours to present their case, while their evidence list contains roughly 15,000 items. Korner urged the prosecution to consider reducing its witnesses and focusing on evidence most essential to its case, stressing the need to keep the proceedings from becoming unnecessarily lengthy.

The chamber did not immediately rule on the prosecution's requested presentation time.

Duterte's trial is scheduled to begin on November 30, 2026. The chamber has indicated that it intends to hold hearings through the period before the Christmas judicial recess, with proceedings continuing in 2027.

Duterte has been in ICC custody since March 12, 2025, following his arrest in the Philippines under an ICC warrant. The case concerns alleged killings connected to the Philippines' campaign against illegal drugs during periods covered by the ICC investigation.

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