The defense team of former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte has withdrawn its request to appeal a previous ruling before Pre-Trial Chamber I of the International Criminal Court, according to a filing dated March 16, 2026.

In the three-page document signed by defense counsel Nicholas Kaufman, the camp formally notified the chamber that it is retracting its earlier appeal.

Despite the withdrawal, Duterte’s legal team emphasized that the move does not prevent them from pursuing other legal remedies.

In particular, they may still raise concerns about what they describe as an “impediment to representation” involving the Common Legal Representatives for Victims.

The issue stems from a February motion filed by the defense seeking to disqualify Filipino lawyers Joel Butuyan and Gilbert Andres, who serve as legal representatives for victims in the case.

The defense argued that the two lawyers had a conflict of interest that could affect their ability to represent victims fairly.

However, the Pre-Trial Chamber denied the request, saying the defense failed to provide sufficient evidence to prove any conflict of interest.

Following the confirmation of charges hearings for former president Duterte held from February 23 to 27, the chamber is now reviewing the case related to his administration’s controversial anti-drug campaign in the Philippines within a 60-day period to determine whether sufficient evidence exists for it to proceed to trial.