Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is asking to be released while he waits for his big court trial at the International Criminal Court (ICC). But the prosecutors, who are like the lawyers trying to prove he did something wrong, strongly said “No way!” — and they gave a lot of reasons why.
In a letter that was 15 pages long, sent on June 23, 2025, the prosecutors told the ICC judges that Duterte should stay in jail for now. They said this is important to:
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Make sure he shows up when the trial starts,
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Stop him from possibly messing up the investigation, and
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Prevent any more possible crimes from happening.
Why don’t they trust Duterte?
Because in the past, Duterte said some very scary things about the court. He once said he’d rather die than face the ICC. He also warned that if someone tried to arrest him, there might be a shootout, and he would “finish” the ICC staff. That makes the prosecutors believe he might not come back for his trial.
What happened during his arrest?
When authorities came to bring Duterte to The Hague (that’s where the ICC is), he didn’t go quietly. He said he was being kidnapped. His daughter, Veronica, also said online that her father had been abducted. And his long-time partner, Honeylet Avanceña, even hit a police officer — though the officer didn’t file a case.
Why are the prosecutors still worried?
Because Duterte and his family are still very powerful in the Philippines. He got re-elected as Mayor of Davao City. His daughter, Sara Duterte, is the Vice President and a reserve army colonel, and his son, Sebastian, is the Vice Mayor of Davao. With all this power, prosecutors said Duterte might use his connections to scare people, hide the truth, or stop witnesses from speaking out.
Did Duterte do this before?
Prosecutors said yes — that in the past, he tried to stop investigations and even threatened people like bishops, human rights workers, and even the United Nations. One example they gave was Leila de Lima, a former senator who Duterte allegedly tried to silence.
What about Duterte’s health?
His lawyers said he should be released because of his health. But the prosecutors said, that’s not a strong enough reason. They added that offering to move him to a secret third country won’t help either — the ICC never agreed to it, and it wouldn’t guarantee that Duterte would follow the court’s rules.
What happens next?
The big court hearing is set for September 23, 2025. Duterte is facing serious accusations of crimes against humanity, especially for the thousands of killings linked to his war on drugs.
For now, the prosecutors are telling the ICC: “Keep Duterte in jail — letting him go would be too dangerous for justice and for witnesses.”
