Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and his daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte, are each set to face separate legal proceedings on April 22, 2026.<\/p>\n
Rodrigo Duterte is scheduled to appear before the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, but he has requested<\/a> 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<\/a> that was submitted by Duterte\u2019s lawyers last November 14, 2025.<\/p>\n The appeal contests<\/a> a key ruling by the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I on October 23, 2025, which affirmed the court\u2019s jurisdiction over his case. His lawyers have also asked<\/a> the court to terminate all proceedings and release him immediately and unconditionally.<\/p>\n Duterte faces<\/a> 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<\/a> to his so-called “war on drugs,” waged first when he was mayor of Davao City and later as president of the Philippines.<\/p>\n Duterte has been in ICC custody since March 2025<\/a>.<\/p>\n If the judges uphold the court\u2019s jurisdiction, the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber is expected to decide<\/a> by the end of April whether the charges will advance to a full trial, which could begin<\/a> late this year.<\/p>\n Filipinos hold sharply differing<\/a> views on the matter.<\/p>\n According to a poll<\/a> 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<\/a> the arrest of his alleged co-perpetrators, yet trust in the ICC remains low. Only 35 percent viewed<\/a> the court as fair, and 46 percent opposed the Philippines rejoining it.<\/p>\n As proceedings against her father continue in The Hague, Vice President Sara Duterte faces<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n The committee is scheduled<\/a> to hold a fourth hearing on April 29, 2026.<\/p>\n Sara Duterte is accused<\/a> of misusing a total of \u00a0612.5 million Pesos in confidential funds, allegations she denies.<\/p>\n Ramil Madriaga, who claimed to have served as Sara Duterte\u2019s \u201cbagman,\u201d\u00a0 testified<\/a> before the house committee on April 14, 2026. He said<\/a> he delivered large sums of cash on her orders, including 125 million Pesos<\/a> in under 24 hours. He also accused<\/a> Duterte of obtaining campaign funds from illegal offshore gaming and drug trafficking operations.<\/p>\n Madriaga also alleged<\/a> that former President Duterte had plotted to assassinate or stage a coup against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.<\/p>\n Sara Duterte skipped<\/a> the impeachment hearings and her lawyer maintains that she is not legally required to appear in person. She has also moved<\/a> 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<\/a> forward.<\/p>\n Like her father, Sara Duterte refuses to recognize the legitimacy of the proceedings, calling<\/a> the House hearings unconstitutional on the grounds that only the Senate holds the authority to conduct an impeachment trial.<\/p>\n Should the justice committee\u2019s report support impeachment, the matter will be forwarded<\/a> to the Senate for a full trial, provided it secures a one-third vote in the House plenary.<\/p>\n