The International Criminal Court (ICC) on Monday announced it will be postponing the hearing on the confirmation of charges against former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte as the former leader deem ‘not fit to stand trial?’

In a press release, the ICC said its Pre-Trial Chamber I decided to postpone Duterte’s confirmation hearing, which was supposed to start on September 23.

“Following a request from the Defence of Mr Duterte for an indefinite adjournment of the proceedings alleging that Mr Duterte is not fit to stand trial, the majority of the Chamber considered that a limited postponement of the hearing on the confirmation of charges was warranted to allow sufficient time to adjudicate the request and related matters,” it said, adding a different date for the start of the confirmation hearing will be set at a later time.

The confirmation hearing is set to determine whether there is “sufficient evidence to establish “substantial grounds to believe that the person committed each of the crimes charged”, the ICC added.

Duterte was arrested on March 11 on his arrival from Hong Kong at the request of the International Criminal Court (ICC) as part of its probe into his “war on drugs” that defined his presidency.

The ICC warrant for Duterte’s arrest said that as president, the 80-year-old Duterte allegedly created, funded, and armed death squads that carried out murders of purported drug users and dealers.

He was brought to The Hague in the Netherlands on the same day he was arrested.