FORMER President Rodrigo Duterte has formally requested to waive his right to attend an upcoming annual hearing regarding his pre-trial detention, according to his legal defense team.
The hearing, scheduled for Feb. 27, 2026, at 2:00 PM, is a requirement under the Rules of Procedure and Evidence which mandates that a Pre-Trial Chamber must review the status of a suspect’s detention at least once every year.
In a public filing released on Feb, 23, Duterte’s counsel ,Nicholas Kaufman, informed the Pre-Trial Chamber that while the court is obligated to hold the session, the law “does not mandate the suspect’s appearance at such hearing.”
The decision followed a specific clarification issued by the Pre-Trial Chamber on Feb. 20 requiring Duterte to submit a separate, strictly limited waiver if he intended to be absent from the proceedings.
The lawyers confirmed that the former president was fully briefed on the implications of his absence before making the decision.
“Mr. Duterte has been explained the legal consequences emanating from waiving his right to appear. Nonetheless, he has elected to be represented by his appointed Counsel,” the information stated.
The waiver plea was finalized early this week in a meeting between the former leader and his legal team.
Kaufman noted that on Feb. 23, the formal request was “read to Mr. Duterte, understood, approved, and duly signed.
“The signed document, bearing Duterte’s original signature, was attached as a public annex to the notification.
With the waiver in place, the scheduled hearing will proceed this Friday with defense counsel appearing on his behalf to address the ongoing necessity of his pre-trial detention.
Duterte was arrested on March 11, 2025 on his arrival from Hong Kong at the request of the ICC as part of its probe into his “war on drugs” that defined his presidency.
The ICC warrant for Duterte’s arrest stated that as president, Duterte allegedly created, funded, and armed death squads that carried out murders of purported drug users and dealers.
He was brought to The Hague in the Netherlands on the same day he was arrested.
On March 14, 2025, Duterte appeared via video link before ICC judges.
