MANILA, Philippines — The defense team of former president Rodrigo Duterte raised privacy concerns over a request by the International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecution seeking access to keys and other personal items seized from him after his arrest, warning that the materials may involve private belongings of his family members.
In a filing dated June 26, 2026, lead defense counsel Peter Haynes opposed the prosecution’s second request for access to materials held by the ICC Registry, describing it as a “fishing expedition” that came “far too late” in the proceedings.
The dispute involves items taken from Duterte following his arrest and transfer to the ICC on March 12, 2025. The prosecution’s request, filed on June 9, 2026, seeks access to several materials, including “all keys in the Registry’s custody,” according to the public redacted version of the Registry’s observations submitted on June 25.
*Defense cites family privacy rights*
The defense argued that granting access to the items could affect the privacy rights of third parties, particularly Duterte’s relatives, because the keys were seized while the former president was traveling with his family.
The lawyers said the keys “may provide access to material belonging to, or concerning, his relatives,” raising concerns that the prosecution could examine personal items unrelated to the charges against Duterte.
The defense maintained that the prosecution had already been aware of the seized materials since March 14, 2025, when the ICC Registry submitted its initial report on Duterte’s arrest. It argued that the existing chain-of-custody documentation already provides an official inventory of the items, making the additional request unnecessary.
*Registry prepared to release items if ordered*
The ICC Registry said that if Trial Chamber III approved the request, the seized materials would be transferred from the Detention Section to the Court Management Section and secured in the Registry vault before being made available to the Prosecution for consultation or as otherwise directed by the Chamber.
The Registry’s observations were filed confidentially and ex parte, meaning they were accessible only to the Prosecution, Defense, and Registry. A public version released on June 26 contained redactions to protect sensitive information.
*Defense seeks cutoff for additional requests*
The defense asked Trial Chamber III to impose a June 30 deadline for any further Prosecution requests involving Registry-held materials, arguing that continued requests could cause unnecessary delays in the proceedings.
The ICC case against Duterte stemmed from an arrest warrant issued over allegations of crimes against humanity linked to his administration’s anti-drug campaign.
The trial is scheduled to begin on Nov. 30, 2026, before Trial Chamber III, composed of Presiding Judge Joanna Korner, Judge Keebong Paek, and Judge Nicolas Guillou.
The proceedings marked the first time a former Philippine president has faced trial before the ICC and the first case involving a former Southeast Asian head of state before the international tribunal.
