Photo credit: ICC

The International Criminal Court has taken another major step in the case against former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte, officially forming a three-judge panel that will handle his trial.

The court’s Presidency designated Trial Chamber III to oversee the proceedings, with Judges Joanna Korner, Keebong Paek, and Nicolas Guillou tapped to take on the high-profile case.

This development comes just days after ICC judges confirmed the charges against Duterte—an important milestone that effectively clears the way for a full trial in The Hague. In simple terms, the court has determined there is enough evidence for the case to move forward.

From here, the newly formed Trial Chamber will take charge of everything leading up to the trial itself. That includes organizing hearings, setting the rules on how evidence will be presented, and making sure both sides—the prosecution and the defense—get a fair shot in court.

Expect a series of status conferences in the coming months, where timelines will be discussed and key procedural issues ironed out. While this signals real momentum, the ICC has yet to announce an exact start date for the trial.

At the center of the case are allegations linked to Duterte’s controversial anti-drug campaign, which drew global attention over thousands of reported deaths. Prosecutors argue that the killings may amount to crimes against humanity.

Even though the Philippines withdrew from the ICC in 2019, the court says it still has jurisdiction over alleged crimes committed while the country was part of the Rome Statute.

With Trial Chamber III now in place, the case is entering a more decisive phase—one that could soon bring Duterte face-to-face with international justice in a courtroom setting.