Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte appears in court in The Hague

Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte made a rare public appearance in The Hague on Wednesday, attending a pretrial hearing at the International Criminal Court. Dressed in a black suit and white shirt, the 81-year-old former leader was seen smiling and waving to supporters, marking his first public appearance in over a year.

Duterte faces charges of crimes against humanity, including murder and attempted murder, stemming from his alleged involvement in dozens of killings during his so-called war on drugs while in office. He adamantly denies the charges against him.

The hearing focused largely on scheduling concerns ahead of the trial's official start, which is expected in November. Duterte was arrested in the Philippines in March 2025 and subsequently sent to The Hague. His initial appearance was made via video link from the court's detention center, and he had not attended another session until Wednesday.

His legal team had previously attempted to have the case dismissed on medical grounds, but judges denied the request and ruled that Duterte was healthy enough to stand trial.