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2026-02-20 11:33:00
[International Criminal Court Rejects Former Philippine President Duterte's Request to Absent from Hearing] On February 19, local time, the International Criminal Court (ICC) formally rejected former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's request to waive his right to appear in court. The document stated that Duterte had no reasonable grounds for not attending the confirmation hearing. The prosecution argued that Duterte was fully capable of appearing in court and should not be allowed to unilaterally recuse himself from the proceedings. On February 18, former Philippine President Duterte informed the ICC's Pre-Trial Chamber I in a letter that he intended to be absent from the confirmation hearing scheduled to begin on February 23. He insisted that the ICC had no jurisdiction over him. (CCTV)
