Duterte's case won't be dismissed outright if he is found unfit to stand trial

The charges of crimes against humanity against former president Rodrigo Roa Duterte will not be outright dismissed, and he will still remain under the custody of the International Criminal Court (ICC) even if he is found to be unfit to stand trial.

- By RAYMUND ANTONIO

This was the opinion rendered by ICC-registered Assistant Counsel Kristina Conti after the document showing that the ICC's pretrial chamber appointed three members of a panel of independent experts to assess the former president's medical condition came out.

"If the reports indicate that Duterte is unfit, the case will be adjourned (not dismissed) by the judges. He will remain in the custody of the ICC and the case will be reviewed every 120 days (four months)," Conti, a counsel to the victims of Duterte's drug war, said in a Facebook post.

"If the reports convince the judges to declare him fit to stand trial, then the hearing on the confirmation of charges can be rescheduled the soonest possible. We hope to have the charges finalized and the trial start in 2026," she added.