Philippines' Duterte seen in person at International Criminal Court for first time

Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has appeared in person at the International Criminal Court in The Hague, where he is due to be tried for alleged crimes against humanity.

He is facing charges over his bloody war on drugs , which saw tens of thousands of small-time drug dealers allegedly executed summarily.

The 81-year-old wore a dark suit and white shirt on Wednesday, which marked the first time he has been seen in person since his arrest in Manila 18 months ago. He did not speak but waved at family members in the public gallery when proceedings ended.

Until now he had appeared before the court by video link and then skipped multiple hearings.

The ICC called a status hearing on Wednesday after Duterte's lawyers argued the former leader's deteriorating health had made him unfit to stand trial .

The war on drugs was the centrepiece of Duterte's presidency, which ran from 2016 to 2022. He argued peace and order was necessary to grow the economy.

The ICC is looking at killings from 1 November 2011, when Duterte was mayor of Davao, a sprawling southern metropolis, until 16 March 2019, when he withdrew the Philippines' membership in the ICC.

Duterte's lawyer Peter Haynes recently told the court his client was suffering from "significant memory impairment", making him unable to engage with his legal team. Prosecutors argued otherwise.