International Criminal Court prosecutors have officially charged former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte with three counts of crimes against humanity, connecting him to at least 76 murders during his notorious “war on drugs.” The 80-year-old former leader is currently being held in an ICC detention unit in The Hague.
A charge sheet, dated July 4 but only released to the public this week, details the serious accusations against Duterte. The charges provide a timeline of his alleged involvement in extrajudicial killings, beginning during his tenure as a city mayor and continuing through his presidency. This formal charging marks a significant escalation in the international legal proceedings against him.
Details of the Murder Charges
The first count from ICC prosecutors links Rodrigo Duterte to 19 murders while he was the mayor of Davao City, covering a period from 2013 to 2016. In this charge, he is listed as a co-perpetrator in the killings.
Subsequently, the second count alleges his involvement in the murders of 14 so-called “High Value Targets” between 2016 and 2017, after he became president. The third and final charge concerns 43 additional murders that occurred across the Philippines from 2016 to 2018. These killings were allegedly part of “clearance” operations targeting lower-level drug users and sellers.
ICC prosecutors emphasized that these 76 deaths represent only a fraction of the total violence. They stated that the actual scale of victimization during this period was significantly greater, reflecting the widespread nature of the attacks under his leadership. The charges are an expansion of an initial arrest warrant from March 7, which had detailed one count of crimes against humanity related to 43 of the alleged murders.
Questions of Fitness to Stand Trial
Just as the charges were announced, a dramatic new development has put the case in limbo. A scheduled court appearance for Rodrigo Duterte was postponed as the court now considers whether he is mentally fit to hear the accusations against him.
His lawyer, Nicholas Kaufman, has formally argued that his client is not able to stand trial. Kaufman stated that the former president is suffering from significant cognitive impairment across multiple domains. Consequently, the defense has urged the ICC to postpone the legal proceedings against Duterte indefinitely.
Rodrigo Duterte was arrested in Manila on March 11 and flown to the Netherlands that same night. He has been held at the ICC’s detention unit within Scheveningen Prison since his arrival. The court must now weigh the medical evidence regarding his cognitive state before this historic case for crimes against humanity can proceed any further.
Jaja has a degree in journalism and took classes in international law and business communication. Her career spans roles at prominent international media outlets, including International Business Times, Celebeat and Delightful Philippines. As a news editor, Jaja covered a wide range of beats, including legal, business, economy, cryptocurrency, personal finance, gaming, technology, and entertainment.