ICC charges Philippines' Rodrigo Duterte with crimes against humanity
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Former Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte faces three counts of crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court over dozens of murders linked to his “war on drugs.”
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Former President of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte speaks inside the Southorn Stadium during a thanksgiving gathering organized by Hong Kong-based Filipino workers for the former populist president in Hong Kong on March 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Vernon Yuen, File)
Former Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has been charged with three counts of crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Prosecutors allege his involvement in at least 76 murders as part of his “war on drugs,” which rights groups say left thousands dead.
A redacted charge sheet, dated July 4 but made public on Monday, set out the accusations against the 80-year-old former leader, who remains in ICC detention in The Hague.
The first charge concerns Duterte’s alleged role as a co-perpetrator in 19 murders carried out between 2013 and 2016, during his tenure as mayor of Davao City.
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Killings during the 'war on drugs'
The second count involves 14 murders of so-called “high-value targets” in 2016 and 2017, after Duterte assumed the presidency.
The third charge covers 43 killings during “clearance” operations targeting lower-level drug users and dealers between 2016 and 2018.
According to ICC prosecutors, these killings were part of a broader and consistent pattern of violence. “The actual scale of victimisation during the charged period was significantly greater, as reflected in the widespread nature of the attack,” they stated.
Health concerns and postponed ICC proceedings
The charges were scheduled to be read during Duterte’s ICC appearance, but the session was postponed as the court evaluates his fitness to stand trial. His lawyer, Nicholas Kaufman, argued that Duterte suffers from “cognitive impairment in multiple domains” and urged the ICC to indefinitely delay proceedings.
Duterte was arrested in Manila on March 11, and was flown to the Netherlands that night. He has since been held at the ICC’s detention unit in Scheveningen prison.
At his initial hearing, which he attended via video link, the former president appeared frail and dazed, speaking only minimally.
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