The hague: The International Criminal Court (ICC) has authorized the freezing of funds seized from former Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte at the time of his arrest. Duterte was handed over to the ICC on charges of crimes against humanity linked to his controversial drug war campaign.

According to Anadolu Agency, defense filings have confirmed that the ICC's Trial Chamber III approved the prosecution's request to freeze any money that had been confiscated from Duterte upon his arrest. Duterte's legal team had previously labeled this request as unnecessary, arguing that the money was already in ICC custody, rendering the freeze ineffective in altering the current situation.

Public documents do not specify the amount of money Duterte had when he was detained. However, the filings reveal that the prosecution is also seeking permission to access other confiscated items. While Duterte's defense team has not opposed the inspection of some of these items, they have requested that the court deny access to keys currently held by the ICC.

Duterte, now 80 years old, has been held in The Hague's ICC detention facility since March of last year. He faces three counts of crimes against humanity, with allegations stemming from drug-related deaths during his administration between 2011 and 2019.