Philippine's former President Duterte suffering ‘significant cognitive deficiencies,’ say lawyers

ISTANBUL

Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's lawyers told the International Criminal Court (ICC) that he is suffering from "significant cognitive deficiencies," according to an Aug. 18 defense request made public by the court Thursday.

Duterte, who is facing a crimes against humanity case, "suffers from significant cognitive deficiencies that affect his memory, his daily executive functioning, his visuo constructive abilities, and his orientation to place and time while, simultaneously, limiting his capacity for complex reasoning," it said.

The defense argued that he was not fit to stand trial as a result of his cognitive impairment.

Duterte's condition will not improve and, "for this reason, the Pre-Trial Chamber must adjourn all legal proceedings in his case indefinitely," it said.

Duterte, 80, was arrested March 11 in Manila under an ICC warrant and flown to The Hague the same day.

He is accused of being responsible for thousands of deaths during his so-called war on drugs between 2016 and 2022.