FORMER Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s legal team has formally appealed the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) decision affirming its jurisdiction to investigate him over alleged crimes against humanity tied to his administration’s bloody war on drugs.
The notice of appeal, filed on October 28, 2025, contests the Pre-Trial Chamber I’s ruling issued five days earlier on October 23, which allowed ICC prosecutors to proceed with their probe into the controversial anti-drug campaign.
In their filing, Duterte’s lawyers, lead counsel Nicholas Kaufman and associate counsel Dr. Dov Jacobs, argued that there is “no legal basis for the continuation of International Criminal Court proceedings against Mr. Rodrigo Roa Duterte.” The team also requested Duterte’s “immediate and unconditional release.”
The case remains a major focal point of international legal and human rights scrutiny, as the ICC continues to assert authority over alleged offenses committed while the Philippines was still a signatory to the Rome Statute, despite the country’s withdrawal in 2019.
With the appeal now lodged, the matter advances to the ICC Appeals Chamber, where Duterte’s defense is expected to challenge the court’s jurisdiction and legitimacy in pursuing the case.