ICC extends deadline to disclose witnesses, materials vs Duterte

A supporter holds a poster of former president Rodrigo Duterte at The Hague in the Netherlands. Duterte is being detained by the International Criminal Court over his bloody war on drugs that left thousands dead. — Photo by Agence France-Presse

MANILA, Philippines — The International Criminal Court (ICC) Pre-Trial Chamber I has granted the Prosecution’s request to extend the deadline of disclosure of arrest warrant materials as well as the identity of witnesses in former president Rodrigo Duterte’s crimes against humanity case.

In a five-page decision dated May 20 and signed by Presiding Judge Iulia Antoanella Motoc, the chamber ordered the Prosecution to complete the disclosure of the arrest warrant materials related to relevant witnesses by no later than July 1, 2025 — pursuant to the Prosecution’s request.

READ: ICC prosecution requests deadline extension for disclosure of witnesses

Subsequently, the chamber also ordered the Prosecution to submit  any applications for redactions, non-disclosure of witnesses’ identities or non-disclosure of entire items of evidence; and the Victims and Witnesses Unit to submit observations on such applications, if any, by no later than June 16, 2025.

“The Chamber notes the Prosecution’s submission that, although it ‘does not presently assess that it will be required to submit requests to the chamber for the non-disclosure of the identities of the relevant witnesses’, it ‘assesses that the immediate disclosure of their identities would give rise to an objective risk to their safety,’” the document read.

“For this reason, and further noting that the Defense and the Office of Public Counsel for Victims do not object to the request, the chamber considers that good cause is shown to grant an extension of the relevant time limits. Accordingly, the Chamber hereby extends the time limit for the disclosure of the arrest warrant materials relating to the relevant witnesses mentioned in the request until 1 July 1, 2025,” it adds.

The Prosecution earlier submitted that both of the requested extensions are reasonable and consistent with Duterte’s rights.

It likewise argued that they are making every effort to conduct its investigative activities in a way that will not affect the disclosure process or the conduct of the confirmation of charges proceedings.

READ: Videos, photos, 8,000 pages: More evidence vs Duterte

The Office of the Prosecutor of the ICC previously said it applied for an arrest warrant against Duterte  for “the crimes against humanity of murder, torture and rape” on February 10.

After this, the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber 1 assessed the materials submitted by the Prosecution and found reasonable grounds to believe that Duterte is “individually responsible as an indirect co-perpetrator for the crime against humanity of murder, allegedly committed in the Philippines” between November 1, 2011 and March 16, 2019.

ICC said the warrant of arrest against Duterte was issued as “secret” on  March 7, 2025 and reclassified as “public” on March 11, 2025.

On March 12,  Duterte was surrendered by the Philippine government to the ICC after being arrested by the authorities in accordance with the warrant of arrest.

Duterte initially appeared before the chamber’s hearing on March 14 via video link.

At present, the chamber has provisionally scheduled the hearing on the confirmation of charges against Duterte on September 23, 2025. /das