The Tamesis
May 28, 2026
Manila – International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutors on Wednesday requested the immediate provision of interpreters for former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s trial so that proceedings can be broadcast in Tagalog and make it more “understandable” to Filipinos.
ICC prosecutor and senior trial lawyer Julian Nichols made the request during the first status conference in Duterte’s trial, where the parties discussed a timetable for the launch of proceedings.
The prosecution proposed that the trial begin on November 30, but the ICC Registry proposed that the date be postponed to January 2027, citing challenges in providing trained interpreters for the proceedings.
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Nichols said six months was a long time not only for court presentations but also to meet the needs of a trial.
“There is a lot of interest in this case in the Philippines, and I know that’s not the point, we don’t always do it, but it would be much better for the people and the victims in this case if it could be broadcast in Tagalog or other languages.” [Filipino] Language,” Nichols said.
Nichols then explained that proposed solutions to the interpreter shortage, such as calling English-speaking witnesses first, might make it difficult for some to understand the proceedings, which he said “would be a shame”.
“Part of what we’re doing here is making it accessible again for people if there’s a problem,” Nichols said.
“So if there’s any way to speed that up, that would be great,” he added.
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Meanwhile, ICC Trial Chamber III Judge Joanna Korner expressed surprise at the response, saying she had always assumed that most Filipinos spoke English, including in local court proceedings.
But Nichols explained that some of the victims in the case did not actually speak English well.
“Many of the victims are from some of the poorer communities and they don’t have good command skills,” he said.
Kona later recorded the request and told the ICC Registry to ensure there are ready and trained interpreters during the trial.
Duterte faces three crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court over his government’s bloody war on drugs. The campaign reportedly killed at least 6,000 people, according to government records, and more than 30,000, including children as young as three years old, according to estimates by human rights groups. /dl
