Former Philippine leader Rodrigo Duterte will not attend ICC pre-trial hearings, with judges granting his absence request despite deeming the reasons speculative.

AMSTERDAM: Former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte will not attend pre-trial hearings at the International Criminal Court next week. The court confirmed the decision on Friday after judges granted his defence team’s request to waive his right to be present.

Judges approved the waiver even though they described the reasons given for his absence as “speculative”. Duterte’s lawyers had argued he could not attend due to cognitive decline.

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This ruling comes after judges at the Hague-based court last month found Duterte, 80, fit to attend hearings. Independent medical experts had concluded he would be able to understand and participate in his case.

Duterte served as president from 2016 to 2022 and was arrested and taken to The Hague last March. ICC prosecutors allege he created, funded and armed death squads during his war on drugs, which saw thousands of alleged narcotics peddlers and users killed.

The former leader has long insisted he instructed police to kill only in self-defence. He has consistently defended the crackdown.

Hearings scheduled for next week are meant to confirm the charges of murder as a crime against humanity. Under the ICC system, judges must confirm these charges before the case can proceed to a full trial.

Official police figures state 6,200 suspects were killed in anti-drug operations under Duterte’s presidency. Activists and the ICC prosecutor, however, estimate the death toll was far higher, with the prosecutor suggesting as many as 30,000 people may have died.

 The Sun Malaysia