NATIONAL
Advocates Philippines
Duterte Refuses ICC Hearing, Calls Allegations 'Outrageous Lies'
Photo credit: Rody Duterte
THE HAGUE — Former Philippine President Rodrigo Roa Duterte has waived his right to attend the upcoming International Criminal Court hearing from February 23–27, 2026, calling the charges against him “outrageous lies.”
In a statement from the ICC Detention Centre dated February 17, Duterte said he does not recognize the court’s jurisdiction over him and described his detention as a “forcible rendition” orchestrated by the office of the current Philippine President.
“I am a Filipino citizen forcibly pushed into a jet and renditioned to The Hague in the Netherlands in flagrant contravention of my country's Constitution and of national sovereignty,” Duterte wrote.
Dismissing claims of overseeing extrajudicial killings, he added: “These claims have been peddled by my political opponents for many years and, as my nation knows, they are based on the word of individuals whose credibility has been thoroughly discredited.”
Citing his age and frailty, Duterte said he will not follow the proceedings remotely. “I do not wish to attend legal proceedings that I will forget within minutes. I am old, tired, and frail. I wish for this Court to respect my peace inside the cell it has placed me. I have accepted the fact that I could die in prison,” he wrote.
He concluded with a reaffirmation of his loyalty to the Philippines: “I am proud of my legacy and of my service to my countrymen around the world. Let no one doubt my love for and loyalty to the Filipino nation. Kaninyo, ako, magpabiling suluguon.”
Duterte’s legal team will continue to challenge the prosecution’s evidence on his behalf, while he remains in ICC custody in The Hague.
In a statement from the ICC Detention Centre dated February 17, Duterte said he does not recognize the court’s jurisdiction over him and described his detention as a “forcible rendition” orchestrated by the office of the current Philippine President.
“I am a Filipino citizen forcibly pushed into a jet and renditioned to The Hague in the Netherlands in flagrant contravention of my country's Constitution and of national sovereignty,” Duterte wrote.
Dismissing claims of overseeing extrajudicial killings, he added: “These claims have been peddled by my political opponents for many years and, as my nation knows, they are based on the word of individuals whose credibility has been thoroughly discredited.”
Citing his age and frailty, Duterte said he will not follow the proceedings remotely. “I do not wish to attend legal proceedings that I will forget within minutes. I am old, tired, and frail. I wish for this Court to respect my peace inside the cell it has placed me. I have accepted the fact that I could die in prison,” he wrote.
He concluded with a reaffirmation of his loyalty to the Philippines: “I am proud of my legacy and of my service to my countrymen around the world. Let no one doubt my love for and loyalty to the Filipino nation. Kaninyo, ako, magpabiling suluguon.”
Duterte’s legal team will continue to challenge the prosecution’s evidence on his behalf, while he remains in ICC custody in The Hague.
Feb 18, 2026
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