ICC orders freeze on cash seized from Duterte during arrest

MANILA, Philippines – The International Criminal Court (ICC)’s trial chamber ordered the freezing of the money that former president Rodrigo Duterte was carrying at the time of his arrest. This was in connection with his crimes against humanity case linked to his violent drug war.

This decision was referred to by Duterte’s defense lawyer Peter Haynes in a document made public on Friday, June 26, where the team is responding to the prosecution’s move to access materials in custody. 

“The Trial Chamber granted the Prosecution’s request to freeze any money that had been seized and further ordered the Registry to provide an inventory of the items obtained from Mr. Duterte upon his arrest,” Haynes said. 

The amount of cash seized from Duterte has not been publicly disclosed. He was arrested in the Philippines in March 2025 before being surrendered to the ICC detention facility in The Hague, in the Netherlands.

The defense had earlier argued that the prosecution’s request to freeze the money was “otiose,” or entirely unnecessary, because it “will have no practical impact upon the existing state of affairs.”

According to the ICC Registry, the seized cash remains in the custody of the detention center’s chief custody officer.

The prosecution has also asked the court for access to several items seized from Duterte at the time of his arrest, including a set of keys.

Duterte’s team noted that while it “does not oppose” the prosecution’s request, it pointed out that the request for access to keys is “insufficiently substantiated and should be requested.” 

“The request is, in substance, a fishing expedition,” Haynes said. “The Prosecution advances no evidential basis connecting the keys either to the commission or furtherance of the alleged crimes or to any assets that may be relevant to the investigation,” he added. 

Duterte has been in ICC custody for more than a year. 

He is set to stand trial after ICC judges in April 2026 confirmed the crimes against humanity charge against him in relation to his anti-drug campaign, which saw at least 6,000 people killed in police anti-illegal drug operations. Human rights groups, meanwhile, estimate the number to reach 30,000 to include those killed vigilante-style. 

The trial will start on November 30, 2026. – Rappler.com