THE HAGUE, Netherlands — The International Criminal Court (ICC) has rejected former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s attempt to disqualify two judges from participating in the deliberations over his challenge to the court’s jurisdiction.

Duterte is facing charges of crimes against humanity, stemming from thousands of alleged extrajudicial killings during his administration’s war on drugs.

The request to remove Judges Reine Adélaïde Sophie Alapini-Gansou and María del Socorro Flores Liera was brought before the plenary of ICC judges, which met on June 9 to assess the matter.

“The plenary of judges, acting unanimously, decided to reject the application,”
the decision stated, signed by Judge Tomoko Akane.

The tribunal noted that a full explanation of the ruling will be provided at a later time.

Duterte’s legal team sought to prevent the two judges from ruling on his Defence Challenge with Respect to Jurisdiction, arguing possible bias. However, the court found no grounds for disqualification.

At the same time, the ICC’s Office of the Public Counsel for Victims called for the outright dismissal of Duterte’s jurisdictional challenge, reinforcing the court’s authority to proceed with the investigation.

This development marks another step forward in the ICC’s review of Duterte’s accountability for the drug war, which has drawn international criticism and concern from human rights groups.