Duterte to face ICC trial on crimes against humanity
International Criminal Court judges confirmed that all three murder charges against former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte are crimes against humanity and put Duterte on trial.
The judges said there were “serious grounds” to believe that Duterte, 81, played a key role in the killing of 76 people and the attempted killing of two others as part of his so-called “war on drugs” that he said had killed thousands of civilians in the Philippines.
“The available evidence demonstrates the existence of a concerted plan between Mr. Duterte and his accomplices to kill, through violent crimes, including murder, criminals perceived or alleged to be associated with the use, sale or production of drugs in the Philippines,” the court said in a statement on Thursday. he said.
Prosecutors said Duterte formed, financed and armed hit squads to target and kill suspected narcotics dealers and users during his time in power from 2016 to 2022.
Duterte has long insisted he only instructed police to kill in self-defense and has always defended repression.
On Wednesday, appellate judges at the court rejected a motion to dismiss Duterte’s case and said the court had jurisdiction over the case.
In previous cases, there was up to a year between the ICC’s approval of the charges and the start of the trial.
