THE HAGUE — The International Criminal Court (ICC) said it has yet to rule on former President Rodrigo Duterte’s request to refrain from attending his upcoming confirmation of charges hearings regarding his administration’s anti-drug campaign.

“It is just a request from the defense for now; it will be for the ICC Judges to decide on it, at this stage,” the ICC said.

Duterte submitted a notification to the tribunal indicating that he would waive his right to attend the hearings scheduled from February 23 to 27, citing, among other reasons, that he does not recognize the ICC’s jurisdiction over him.

The ICC Prosecutor has charged the former president with 49 incidents of murder and attempted murder during the implementation of his anti-narcotics operations, noting that the actual scale of killings during that period may have been much higher.

A recent ICC document also named alleged co-perpetrators involved in the “common plan” to target suspected criminals through violent means, including Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, Senator Bong Go, lawyer Vitaliano Aguirre II, and former officials Vicente Danao, Camilo Cascolan, and Oscar Albayalde, among others.

Government records indicate that around 6,200 drug suspects were killed during Duterte’s tenure, while human rights organizations estimate the figure could reach 30,000, accounting for unreported killings linked to the campaign.