MANILA, (PIA) — Former President Rodrigo Duterte is scheduled to make his first appearance before the International Criminal Court on Friday at 2 p.m. local time (The Hague), 9 p.m. Philippine time, following his arrest on charges of crimes against humanity.
The hearing will be streamed on the ICC’s official website with a 30-minute delay through this link: https://www.icc-cpi.int/.
The Philippine National Police arrested Duterte pursuant to an ICC warrant issued March 7. He was transferred to ICC custody on March 12.
The former chief executive faces charges of murder as a crime against humanity, allegedly committed between November 1, 2011, and March 16, 2019, while serving as president of the Philippines and mayor of Davao City.
According to the ICC, Friday’s hearing will confirm Duterte’s identity, determine which language he understands, and formally inform him of the charges filed against him.
The public, including journalists and members of the diplomatic corps, may attend but must be accredited before 11 a.m. Friday local time. (JCO/PIA-NCR)
