Duterte (Rodrigo Duterte), the former President of the Philippines, appeared on September 16 at a session of the International Criminal Court (ICC). This session was held to examine the charges against him regarding his responsibility for killings resulting from the drug war. Families of over 20 victims, who lost their lives in police operations in 2017, gathered to witness this session.
Unexpected Appearance and Duterte's Health Status
Liore Pasco, the mother of two victims named Crisanto and Juan Carlos Lozano, was surprised to see Duterte at this session. Upon seeing the former president, she noticed that he still appeared with long black hair. Duterte is currently 81 years old and seems to be in better health than when he was arrested at Manila International Airport in March 2025.
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While Duterte's family claimed that he had become severely weak, his presence in court suggested that these claims might not be true. Duterte is regularly undergoing medical examinations and only fell once during the court session.
Legal Consequences and Victims' Demands
The Dutch government and members of Duterte's legal network stated that his presence in court indicates a fraud in illness, which has delayed justice and recovery for the victims' families. They hope that Duterte will appear again on the first day of the trial, which is November 30, and be held accountable to the victims of his crimes.
The formal trial to determine whether Duterte actually ordered the mass killings will only begin in 10 weeks. The families of the victims from the group "Rise for Life and Rights" have still not been able to raise the funds for plane tickets to the Netherlands. One of the victims' mothers, Liore, expressed that she has been waiting for this moment and wants to see the person who ordered the killings of her children.
Their lawyer, Neri Kalmanars, announced that they still do not have the budget to send the victims' families to court in November and also lack sufficient funding to attend all trial sessions, which may last at least two years.
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