The International Criminal Court (ICC) has accused former Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte of crimes against humanity. The charges, outlined in a detailed document released on July 4 but made public on Monday, claim Duterte’s involvement in at least 76 murders during his “war on drugs”. Duterte, who is currently detained in The Hague, faces three counts: as a co-perpetrator in 19 murders between 2013 and 2016 while serving as mayor of Davao City, for 14 murders of “high-value targets” in 2016 and 2017 during his time as president, and for 43 murders committed during crackdown operations on lower-level suspected drug users or dealers across the Philippines from 2016 to 2018. The prosecutor’s office states that the scale of victimization was much larger, citing the thousands of killings that occurred consistently over the period he was indicted for.
Iconic images, such as Duterte’s linked article, serve as a powerful reminder of the global legal battle he faces, contrasting starkly with his popularity in Davao where he remains the frontrunner for mayor, his supporters presenting him with a cardboard cutout. Duterte’s campaign against drug users and dealers, which has been widely criticized by rights groups for resulting in thousands of deaths, is at the heart of these charges. Initially, there was one charge of crimes against humanity in the arrest warrant issued for Duterte on March 7, concerning 43 alleged murders.
The accusations were made just before Duterte was scheduled to answer them at the ICC, but this hearing has been deferred as the court considers whether Duterte is mentally fit to stand trial, given that his lawyer, Nicholas Kaufman, has argued that his client’s cognitive impairment in multiple areas prevents him from participating. Duterte was detained in Manila on March 11, transported to the Netherlands, and is currently being held at the ICC’s detention unit at Scheveningen prison. In his first hearing, Duterte appeared frail via video link, barely speaking.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/sep/23/rodrigo-duterte-charged-crimes-against-humanity-icc-philippines-ntwnfb
