Duterte ICC confirmation of charges hearing will proceed without the former president, according to a waiver letter circulating on social media.

Former president Rodrigo R. Duterte will not attend the confirmation of charges hearing scheduled for February 23-27, according to a letter circulating on social media.

Duterte personally submitted a waiver letter addressed to the International Criminal Court, dated February 17.

“I understand the consequences of my waiving this right which has been thoroughly explained to me by my Counsel and I trust him and his team to challenge the sufficiency of the Prosecution’s evidence on my behalf,” Duterte penned.

“I do not wish to follow these proceedings from outside the courtroom through the use of communications technology,” he added.

He cited several reasons why he won’t attend.

“I do not recognize the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court over my person. I am a Filipino citizen forcibly pushed into a jet and renditioned to The Hague in the Netherlands in flagrant contravention of my country’s Constitution and of national sovereignty,” Duterte explained.

“My kidnapping was facilitated by the office of the incumbent President of the Philippines with a plane specially chartered for this purpose,” he said.

He dismissed the allegation that he implemented a policy of extra-judicial killings, labeling it as “an outrageous lie.”

“These claims,” Duterte pointed out, “have been peddled by my political opponents for many years and, as my nation knows, they are based on the word of individuals whose credibility has been thoroughly discredited.”

Additionally, he expressed his desire to avoid participating in legal proceedings that he believes he will forget shortly thereafter.

“I am old, tired, and frail,” the 80-year-old former president said. “I wish for this Court to respect my peace inside the cell it has placed me. I have accepted the fact that I could die in prison. But those that desire this fate for me should know that my heart and soul will always remain in the Philippines.”

Duterte ended his letter with these words: “I am proud of my legacy and of my service to my countrymen around the world. Let no one doubt my love for and loyalty to the Filipino nation.”

Duterte faced indictment for crimes against humanity, encompassing extrajudicial killings that occurred during his time as Mayor of Davao City and as President of the Philippines, up until the nation’s exit from the Rome Statute in 2019.

The charges, which were disclosed on September 22, 2025, alleged his participation in the murders of 76 individuals from 2013 to 2018.

The Wikipedia reported that of these homicides, fifty-seven occurred during his presidency, while the remaining 19 took place during his third term as mayor of Davao City.

Last year, on October 10, the ICC denied Duterte’s request for release from detention, stating that he represented a flight risk and would likely not return for trial, in addition to concerns regarding possible witness intimidation should he be granted his freedom.