Judges at the International Criminal Court (ICC) unanimously upheld all charges of crimes against humanity against former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on April 23. The case will now proceed to the merits.
This was reported by Reuters.
According to the ICC judges' ruling, there are substantial grounds to believe that Duterte, 81, played a key role in the killings of 76 people and the attempted murder of two more as part of his so-called “war on drugs,” which is said to have led to the deaths of thousands of civilians in the Philippines.
“The available evidence indicates the existence of a common plan between Mr. Duterte and his accomplices to kill alleged criminals in the Philippines, including individuals suspected or believed to be involved in the use, sale or production of drugs, through violent crimes, including murder,” the court ruling said.
According to the ICC, Duterte created, financed, and armed “death squads” that were responsible for eliminating drug trafficking and drug use suspects during his time in power from 2016 to 2022.
The former president of the Philippines himself insists that he ordered law enforcement officers to use force only in self-defense.
On April 21, the ICC Appeals Chamber rejected an attempt to close Duterte's case and confirmed the court's jurisdiction. In previous cases, it usually took about a year between confirmation of charges and the start of the trial.
Duterte's case will now be referred to the ICC Trial Chamber, which will begin considering the merits of the case.
On March 14, 2025, the ICC began hearings in the case of the former Philippine leader. Three days earlier, police arrested him on a court warrant. He is accused of crimes against humanity during the 2016-2022 anti-drug campaign that led to the deaths of thousands of people. Duterte's supporters and family call his detention illegal because the Philippines has not been a party to the Rome Statute of the ICC since 2019 and does not recognize the court's jurisdiction.