Families of victims of the sham “war on drugs” welcomed with optimism the latest decision of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to proceed with hearings on the crimes against humanity case against former president Rodrigo Duterte.

According to Atty. Kristina Conti, assistant to counsel of the ICC representing victims of extra-judicial killings (EJK), families are pleased with the decision of ICC Trial Chamber III to keep the final trial schedule on November 30. In her media interviews on June 28, Conti said the court’s setting of additional status conferences (meetings of lawyers) proves that the ICC is closely monitoring the case to prevent possible delays by the defense.

The court’s approval on June 26 of the prosecution’s request to freeze all money seized from Duterte when he was arrested in March 2025 also dealt a major blow to the Duterte camp. Conti emphasized that this step is an “significant opportunity” for justice for the victims to ensure the preservation of evidence and assets linked to the crime. This comes despite the loud objections of Duterte’s lawyers, who even tried to block the inspection of keys taken from the former president at that time.

However, Conti reiterated the challenges facing their camp. She said the rapid registration and enrollment of more victims’ families remains a major challenge so they can officially participate in the upcoming trial.

Duterte remains detained in Scheveningen in the Netherlands after his request for temporary release was denied in May. Lawyers of the victims also emphasized that any change in Duterte’s legal team should not be used as a reason to delay his trial.