MANILA, Philippines — Former President Rodrigo Duterte is suffering from cognitive deficiencies and is unable to recall events, places and even members of his close family and defense team, his legal counsel Nicholas Kaufman told the International Criminal Court.
In a 13-page document dated Sept. 11, Kaufman explained why Duterte’s team is seeking the adjournment of all legal proceedings in the former president’s case indefinitely, citing his deteriorating health.
“Mr. Duterte is not fit to stand trial as a result of cognitive impairment in multiple domains. Mr. Duterte’s condition will not improve and, for this reason, the Pre-Trial Chamber must adjourn all legal proceedings in his case indefinitely,” Kaufman said.
He argued that the medical information collected leads to the “overwhelming conclusion” that Duterte suffers from significant cognitive deficiencies that affect his memory, daily executive functioning, visuo-constructive abilities and orientation to place and time, while also “limiting his capacity for complex reasoning.”
…The ICC earlier decided to postpone the commencement hearing of the case, which was originally scheduled for Sept. 23.
The chamber will issue a new scheduling order with a specific date for the hearing in due course.
In a decision that disappointed drug war victims, the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) Pretrial Chamber 1 postponed the much-awaited confirmation of charges hearings that were supposed to start on Sept. 23, 2025. The chamber ordered the postponement to first hold hearings on former president Rodrigo Duterte’s motion for the suspension of proceedings, allegedly because he is not fit to stand trial.
…From the time he was brought to The Hague and until a gag order was imposed on them only recently, Duterte’s family members have been regularly visiting him several times a month. After every visit, these family members publicly speak about their conversations with and observations about their patriarch. His family members have shared how the ex-president has given them personal advice, commented on current events in the Philippines, and even shared jokes with them.
On July 8, 2025, after visiting her father in The Hague, Vice President Sara Duterte shared with the public that, “He’s okay, in a very good mood today.” The father teased his daughter by telling her, “Your arm is twice the size of mine—one of your arms is like two of mine.” The VP stated that her father was not experiencing any major health problems, was being held in the regular detention area, and was not in the hospital wing at the ICC. “So far, he said he’s not feeling anything, so he’s okay on that note,” she said.
In a very telling revelation of how perfectly mentally fit the ex-president is in his comprehension of his past deeds, his present lack of remorse, and his understanding of the future consequences that he potentially faces, the VP quoted her father as follows: “I did what I had to for my country, and I have no regrets about what I did.”
On Aug. 15, 2025, Kitty Duterte shared that the ex-president was “livelier and sharper now,” and that there were more laughs than usual after she visited her father. He offered her fatherly advice and told her not to entertain suitors, the daughter said.
On Aug. 29, 2025, all four Duterte children visited their father. In their public statements, they said that they conversed with their father about their personal lives and that they “discussed what’s happening now and what could possibly happen tomorrow or three years from now” in the Philippines.
A person may feign behavior that will yield results he/she desperately desires when faced with strangers and, most especially, in the presence of mental health experts. But a father will always reveal his true mental fitness when he dispenses his advice, gives his views, and shares his jokes in the privacy and presence of his children.
https://opinion.inquirer.net/185987/is-duterte-unfit-to-face-trial
Mr. Duterte is a very good actor and has been nominated for a FAMAS Philippines award in a brand-new 2025 category, Best Actor in a Reality TV News Event.
WHY ICC’S PROSECUTOR BELIEVES RODY DUTERTE WAS CAUGHT FAKING COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT
ReplyDeleteCristina Chi - Philstar.com
December 19, 2025 | 3:13pm
MANILA, Philippines — The test administered to former President Rodrigo Duterte was a straightforward and simple memory challenge, designed to be easy enough that even people with severe cognitive damage typically pass.
How Duterte performed on this and other specialized assessments has led the International Criminal Court's (ICC) prosecutor to make a blunt accusation in a court filing: the former president is faking mental decline to avoid trial.
“It strongly appears that Mr. Duterte is feigning cognitive impairments in an attempt to avoid a trial on the merits,” ICC Deputy Prosecutor Mame Mandiaye Niang wrote in a filing released Thursday, December 18, which comments on the findings of the independent medical panel that evaluated Duterte's fitness to stand trial.
Although the full medical report on Duterte's fitness level has yet to be released, the ICC prosecution noted in its comments that it is clear Duterte had deliberately underperformed in the tests administered to him.
…The prosecution pointed to one assessment in particular: the “coin in hand test.”
This test involves an examiner who shows the patient a coin held in one of their hands. The examiner then closes both hands and asks the patient to close their eyes, count backward and to point the hand holding the coin. This is also typically repeated several times.
One examiner told Duterte it was a test for short-term memory, according to the court filing. In reality, it’s what experts call a “floor test” — designed to be so simple that even individuals with moderate to severe memory impairment should pass.
The test works by exploiting a basic principle of probability, according to a 2014 clinical guide on evaluating feigned cognitive impairment published in Advances in Psychiatric Treatment. Even people with genuine memory issues will get some answers right by random chance. Someone who scores worse than chance is likely faking, according to the guide.
"The worse an individual performs, the greater the likelihood of malingering," the guide states.
The court documents don't disclose how Duterte actually scored on this test — that information appears in redacted portions marked "[REDACTED]." But the prosecution cited his results as evidence supporting their accusation of feigning.
The three independent medical experts examined Duterte separately between October and November, using what are called “symptom validity tests” — assessments specifically designed to detect deliberate underperformance.
All three reached the same conclusion: Duterte could not make a credible assessment about his own health, according to the prosecution filing.
https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2025/12/19/2495480/why-iccs-prosecutor-believes-rody-duterte-was-caught-faking-cognitive-impairment
Digong’s honed acting skills aren’t going to save him this time around. The best chance of springing Digong from the ICC would be legal representations from the Philippine government identifying a loophole—so far there don’t appear to be any available—to release him. In addition, some outside political pressure on the court from the Philippine government would have some effect. So his best bet is the 2028 election of his daughter Sara Duterte as president of the Philippines.
Gonzalinho