THE HAGUE - The International Criminal Court (ICC) on Monday postponed a hearing on the confirmation of charges against former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte, following a defense request that he was unfit to stand trial.

The hearing, which had been due to open on Sept 23, will be rescheduled after Pre-Trial Chamber I considers Duterte's request for an indefinite adjournment, the court said in a statement. A new date will be set once the judges rule on the matter.

The confirmation hearing is a procedural step to determine whether there is enough evidence to send the case to trial. If the charges are confirmed, the case will move to a trial chamber.

Duterte, who served as president of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022, was detained and transferred to the ICC in March following an arrest warrant over his controversial "war on drugs" campaign, a move he has challenged.

Duterte made his initial appearance before the court by video link on March 14.