FORMER President Rodrigo Duterte will remain in custody at the International Criminal Court (ICC) after the Appeals Chamber rejected his appeal for interim release, the court confirmed on Friday.
Presiding Judge Luz del Carmen Ibañez Carranza said Duterte’s defense “failed to demonstrate an error” in the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I’s earlier ruling that he poses a flight risk.
The former president had challenged the decision on three grounds: that the chamber erred in assessing his risk under the Rome Statute, improperly rejected guarantees from a State willing to receive him, and failed to consider humanitarian factors.
The Appeals Chamber, composed of Judges Carranza, Tomoko Akane, Solomy Balungi Bossa, Gocha Lordkipanidze, and Erdenebalsuren Damdin, unanimously dismissed all three arguments, confirming the Pre-Trial Chamber’s assessment.
In its 23-page ruling released on Oct. 10, the chamber cited the Duterte family’s public opposition to his arrest, their calls for his immediate return to the Philippines, and his reported plan to go back to Davao City if released—all pointing to his rejection of ICC proceedings and the family’s willingness to assist him in evading detention.
Duterte, facing multiple murder and attempted murder charges as crimes against humanity over his anti-drug campaign, waived his right to attend Friday’s hearing. His initial appearance at the ICC was on March 14, 2025, and the confirmation hearing, originally set for Sept. 23, was postponed on Sept. 8.
