The Hague — February 14, 2026 — The International Criminal Court (ICC) has authorized both the prosecution and defense in the case against former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte to expand their evidence lists, even as the court grapples with a surge in victim applications.
ICC Broadens Evidence Scope in Duterte Case Amid Rising Victim Participation
The court’s Pre-Trial Chamber I approved requests to add evidence from both sides, while also acknowledging applications from nearly 500 individuals seeking to participate as victims in the proceedings.
- The ICC granted the defense permission to submit 78 additional evidentiary items.
- The prosecution was authorized to include two more items in its evidence list.
- A total of 227 new victim applications were received, bringing the total to 500.
- The court is investigating alleged crimes against humanity linked to Duterte’s “war on drugs.”
What is the current status of the ICC investigation into Rodrigo Duterte? The ICC is proceeding with investigations into alleged crimes committed during Duterte’s time as mayor of Davao City (November 1, 2011, to June 30, 2016) and as President of the Philippines (June 30, 2016, to March 16, 2019), despite the Philippines’ previous withdrawal from the Rome Statute in 2019.
In a decision issued on Wednesday, February 12, 2026, Pre-Trial Chamber I granted separate requests from Duterte’s legal team and the Office of the Prosecutor to bolster their respective evidence presentations. The Chamber authorized the defense to submit 78 additional items, while permitting the prosecution to add two more.
According to filings, the defense team, in an application submitted on February 6, 2026, stated that the prosecution had reviewed the proposed 78 items and raised no objections to their inclusion. Simultaneously, the prosecution filed its own request on the same day to add two items, noting that the defense had agreed not to contest their admission.
The Common Legal Representatives of Victims informed the Chamber on February 7, 2026, that they did not oppose either request. In its ruling, the judges cited “good cause,” emphasizing the limited scope of the additional material, its relevance to the charges, and the lack of opposition from involved parties.
Both sides have been directed to submit updated lists of evidence by February 13, 2026. The ruling was delivered by Presiding Judge Iulia Antoanella Motoc, alongside Judges Reine Adélaïde Sophie Alapini-Gansou and María del Socorro Flores Liera.
Separately, the ICC Registry disclosed on February 12, 2026, that it had received 227 new applications from individuals seeking to participate as victims in the case, bringing the total number of applications transmitted in the latest filing to 500. The Registry submitted these applications to Pre-Trial Chamber I on February 9, 2026, in compliance with a January 28, 2026, order to forward any additional “Group A” claims received within the specified deadline.
This influx followed a January 26, 2026, decision by the Chamber authorizing 39 victims—29 from a previous “Group A” transmission and 10 from “Group C”—to participate in the pretrial proceedings. To qualify as victims, individuals must be survivors or relatives of those killed or subjected to attempted murder between November 1, 2011, and June 30, 2016, in and around Davao City during Duterte’s tenure as mayor, or between June 30, 2016, and March 16, 2019, throughout the Philippines during his presidency.
The newly submitted applications are contained in 227 annexes listed in a confidential Annex I, accessible only to the Registry and the Common Legal Representatives of Victims, as outlined in the Chamber’s April 2025 order on confirmation proceedings.
Duterte faces charges of crimes against humanity in connection with the killings linked to his administration’s controversial anti-drug campaign.
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