ICC prosecutors charge Duterte with 3 counts of crimes against humanity

Dubai: Former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte has been charged with three counts of crimes against humanity before the International Criminal Court (ICC), accused of being behind dozens of killings linked to his anti-illegal drugs campaign as both Davao City mayor and later as chief executive.

A heavily redacted charge sheet filed on July 4 and released only this week alleges Duterte’s role in at least 78 murders between 2013 and 2018. Prosecutors said he acted as an “indirect co-perpetrator,” ordering, aiding and abetting a plan to “neutralise” suspected drug offenders through violent means. Duterte has repeatedly denied ordering killings during his time in office.

The indictment covers three sets of cases: 19 murders in Davao City between 2013 and 2016 while he was mayor; 14 killings of so-called “high-value targets” in 2016 and 2017, his first years as president; and 45 deaths during “barangay clearance” operations across the country from 2016 to 2018.

Prosecutors said these represent only a fraction of the actual toll. “The actual scale of victimisation was significantly greater, as reflected in the widespread nature of the attack,” the filing stated, pointing to thousands of alleged killings tied to the war on drugs. The court also noted that the Davao Death Squad, made up of police and hired gunmen, carried out killings during Duterte’s mayoralty, later evolving into a wider national network of police and non-police assets under his presidency.

Duterte, 80, has been in ICC custody since March after the Marcos administration allowed his arrest, a move seen as a sign of strained ties between the current and former presidents. He was flown to The Hague following his detention in Manila and has since been held at the ICC’s Scheveningen Prison.

The ICC early this month postponed a hearing on the confirmation of charges against Duterte to determine whether he is well enough to stand trial. At an earlier appearance via video link, Duterte appeared frail and barely spoke, according to observers. His legal team has urged the ICC to suspend proceedings indefinitely.

Duterte was arrested at Manila airport on March 11, 2025, upon returning from a visit to Hong Kong. The arrest came after Interpol Manila received a copy of a sealed ICC warrant that had been issued on March 7. The warrant specifically cites 'murder as a crime against humanity' in connection with his violent drug war, which was the subject of an ICC investigation since 2021. The investigation was reinstated in 2023 after a brief suspension following an appeal from the Philippines.

While estimates of those killed during the campaign vary, prosecutors at the Hague claim that the number of civilians killed in connection with the 'war on drugs' ranges from 12,000 to 30,000. The alleged crimes were committed between November 1, 2011, and March 16, 2019. The Philippines formally withdrew from the ICC in 2019, but the court maintains jurisdiction over crimes committed while the country was still a member.