Philippines ex-President Duterte fit to stand trial, ICC rules

The former president is able to understand the charges and follow the proceedings, panel of experts find.Published On 8 Oct 20268 Oct 2026Judges at the International Criminal Court (ICC) have found former Philippine President Rodrigo ⁠Duterte fit to stand trial and able to face charges of crimes against humanity related to the so-called “war on drugs” he waged while in office.The ex-leader is accused of murder and attempted murder for his alleged involvement in dozens of killings. He denies the charges, but faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment if convicted.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Chinese ship rams Philippines gov’t vessel in South China Sea: Coastguardlist 2 of 3Video: Students flee deadly school shooting in the Philippineslist 3 of 3Powerful El Nino could cause more than 450,000 deaths, scientists sayend of listThe court in The Hague said on Thursday that independent medical experts had examined the 81-year-old’s health and concluded he was mentally fit to understand evidence and discuss his defence with his lawyers.“The chamber was satisfied that the accused is able to effectively exercise his fair trial rights in the proceedings,” the court said.Hi...