On the evening of September 18, 2025, Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte boarded a flight to Japan, embarking on her 15th foreign trip of the year. The purpose? To stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Filipino communities in Tokyo and Nagoya as they rallied for the release of her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, from the custody of the International Criminal Court (ICC). The rallies, meticulously organized by overseas Filipino workers and community leaders, also doubled as protests against corruption—a dual message that, according to Duterte, simply couldn’t be postponed.
“This can’t be postponed under any circumstances, because it’s also for the country—it’s both a call against corruption and a call to the ICC to release former President Rodrigo Duterte,” Vice President Duterte explained, as reported by INQUIRER.net. The Filipino communities had already arranged their schedules and accommodations, making the event a logistical commitment as much as a political one.
Since March 11, 2025, Rodrigo Duterte has been detained at the ICC’s Scheveningen prison complex in The Hague, after being arrested at Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport. The former president faces charges of crimes against humanity in connection with his administration’s controversial war on drugs—a campaign that, according to official government figures, resulted in at least 6,000 deaths, though human rights organizations estimate the toll could be as high as 20,000.
The ICC proceedings have become a focal point for both Duterte’s supporters and his critics. On September 16, Duterte’s legal team submitted an initial batch of at least 30 pieces of evidence to the ICC’s Office of the Prosecutor and the Office of Public Counsel for Victims. The contents of these submissions remain confidential, but the defense insists they support arguments challenging the legal basis of the charges. Duterte’s lead defense lawyer, Nicholas Kaufman, notified the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber 1 that these materials would be central to upcoming confirmation of charges hearings—hearings that were originally scheduled for September 23-26, 2025.
However, the legal process has hit a pause. The defense requested an “indefinite adjournment” of all proceedings, claiming Rodrigo Duterte is “not fit to stand trial.” The Pre-Trial Chamber, led by Presiding Judge Iulia Motoc and Judge Reine Adelaide Alapini-Gansou, agreed to postpone the hearings, though Judge Maria del Socorro Flores Liera dissented, arguing the decision belonged to the trial chamber. The hearings, once rescheduled, will determine if there is enough evidence to proceed to a full trial for crimes against humanity.
For the families of the drug war’s victims, the delay has been agonizing. “It’s like we’re being punished because of the delay,” said Llore Pasco, a mother who lost two children to extrajudicial killings, during a press briefing last week. Kristina Conti, a lawyer representing victims’ families, pointed out that Duterte could waive his right to attend hearings in person, as allowed under Rule 124 of the Rome Statute, potentially removing at least one procedural obstacle.
Meanwhile, Rodrigo Duterte’s legal team has filed additional motions, including a request for interim release to an undisclosed country, a bid to disqualify ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan, and a challenge to the court’s jurisdiction. These moves have done little to ease tensions, with each legal maneuver scrutinized by both supporters and detractors.
Back in the Philippines and across the global Filipino diaspora, the case has become a lightning rod for political passions. Vice President Sara Duterte’s overseas advocacy has been relentless. In the past several months alone, she has held meetings with Filipino communities in Australia, Kuwait, Qatar, Malaysia, France, the Netherlands, and Belgium. The Office of the Vice President reported spending approximately P20.68 million on local and foreign trips as of July 2025, with P7.473 million allocated for international travel, largely covering security and personnel expenses. These journeys have drawn both admiration and criticism, depending on one’s political leanings.
For Duterte loyalists, the rallies in Japan are a show of unity and a plea for justice. Many see Rodrigo Duterte’s arrest and detention as politically motivated, and believe the ICC’s involvement oversteps the Philippines’ sovereignty. “This is for the public as they are protesting against corruption and are calling for the ICC to release former President Rodrigo Duterte,” Vice President Duterte told GMA News. The gatherings in Tokyo and Nagoya are expected to draw hundreds of Filipinos, many of whom took vacation days just to participate.
For critics, the ICC proceedings represent a long-overdue reckoning for the violence and impunity of the drug war era. Human rights groups have spent years documenting alleged extrajudicial killings and abuses, pressing for international accountability when domestic avenues seemed closed. The postponement of the confirmation hearings has only deepened the sense of frustration among victims’ families and their advocates.
Amidst these swirling debates, the ICC itself has been thrust into the spotlight. The court’s mandate is to prosecute individuals for crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression, but its jurisdiction and legitimacy are often challenged—especially by countries or leaders under investigation. The Philippines formally withdrew from the Rome Statute in 2019, but the ICC maintains it retains jurisdiction over crimes allegedly committed while the country was still a member.
The next steps in Rodrigo Duterte’s case remain uncertain. The Pre-Trial Chamber’s decision to postpone the confirmation of charges hearings means it could be weeks or even months before the process resumes. In the meantime, Duterte remains in detention in The Hague, and his legal team continues to pursue avenues for his release and for challenging the court’s authority.
As for Sara Duterte, her whirlwind schedule shows no sign of letting up. She has made it clear that her advocacy on her father’s behalf is both personal and political—a stance echoed by her presence at rallies around the globe. Whether these efforts will sway the ICC, or simply galvanize supporters back home and abroad, is an open question. For now, the world watches as the Philippines’ most controversial recent president awaits his fate in an international court, and his daughter rallies the diaspora to his cause.
The coming weeks will likely bring more legal twists, more rallies, and more impassioned arguments on both sides. What’s certain is that the story of Rodrigo Duterte’s prosecution—and Sara Duterte’s determined campaign—continues to capture the attention of Filipinos everywhere.