Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and his daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte, are each set to face separate legal proceedings on April 22, 2026.
Rodrigo Duterte is scheduled to appear before the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, but he has requested to skip the hearing, consistent with his refusal to engage with the court process. On this day, ICC judges will rule on an appeal brief that was submitted by Duterte’s lawyers last November 14, 2025.
The appeal contests a key ruling by the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I on October 23, 2025, which affirmed the court’s jurisdiction over his case. His lawyers have also asked the court to terminate all proceedings and release him immediately and unconditionally.
Duterte faces three counts of crimes against humanity for murders and attempted murders allegedly committed between November 1, 2011, and March 16, 2019. The alleged offenses are tied to his so-called “war on drugs,” waged first when he was mayor of Davao City and later as president of the Philippines.
Duterte has been in ICC custody since March 2025.
If the judges uphold the court’s jurisdiction, the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber is expected to decide by the end of April whether the charges will advance to a full trial, which could begin late this year.
Filipinos hold sharply differing views on the matter.
According to a poll conducted in March 2026, nearly 60 percent of respondents felt it was essential for the former president to face trial at the ICC, whereas about a quarter disagreed. More than half supported the arrest of his alleged co-perpetrators, yet trust in the ICC remains low. Only 35 percent viewed the court as fair, and 46 percent opposed the Philippines rejoining it.
As proceedings against her father continue in The Hague, Vice President Sara Duterte faces the third public hearing on the impeachment complaint against her, before the House of Representatives’ Committee on Justice in Quezon City, also on April 22, 2026.
The committee is scheduled to hold a fourth hearing on April 29, 2026.
Sara Duterte is accused of misusing a total of 612.5 million Pesos in confidential funds, allegations she denies.
Ramil Madriaga, who claimed to have served as Sara Duterte’s “bagman,” testified before the house committee on April 14, 2026. He said he delivered large sums of cash on her orders, including 125 million Pesos in under 24 hours. He also accused Duterte of obtaining campaign funds from illegal offshore gaming and drug trafficking operations.
Madriaga also alleged that former President Duterte had plotted to assassinate or stage a coup against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Sara Duterte skipped the impeachment hearings and her lawyer maintains that she is not legally required to appear in person. She has also moved to stop the proceedings entirely, filing a 58-page Supreme Court petition for a temporary restraining order (TRO) and a preliminary injunction. No TRO has been issued, and the House committee has pressed forward.
Like her father, Sara Duterte refuses to recognize the legitimacy of the proceedings, calling the House hearings unconstitutional on the grounds that only the Senate holds the authority to conduct an impeachment trial.
Should the justice committee’s report support impeachment, the matter will be forwarded to the Senate for a full trial, provided it secures a one-third vote in the House plenary.
Despite mounting legal pressure, Sara Duterte remains one of the country’s most trusted officials, though recent surveys show her approval ratings slipping as President Marcos Jr.’s continue to climb.