THE HAGUE, April 23 — International Criminal Court judges confirmed murder charges against Philippine former president Rodrigo Duterte as crimes against humanity today, paving the way for a trial.
The judges said there are “substantial grounds” to believe Duterte, 81, played a key role in the murders of 76 people and the attempted murder of two others as part of his so-called “war on drugs”, which prosecutors say killed thousands of civilians in the Philippines.
“The available evidentiary material shows the existence of a common plan between Mr Duterte and his co-perpetrators to kill alleged criminals in the Philippines, including those perceived or alleged to be associated with drug use, sale or production, through violent crimes including murder,” the court said.
In pre-trial hearings, his lawyers argued that Duterte’s public statements that he would stop drugs and criminality in the Philippines and his telling of security forces to go out and kill criminals were just rhetoric, meant to instil fear.
Philippines leadership says trial will benefit both sides
In the Philippines, the office of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr issued a statement to say it respects the ruling and that justice must be served.
“Both sides stand to benefit from this. Justice for the accused if he is innocent, or justice for the victims if their rights were indeed abused,” read the statement.
The case will be assigned to a trial chamber that will start planning for a trial. In previous cases, it has taken the ICC up to a year between the confirmation of charges and the opening of a trial.
Prosecutors have said Duterte created, funded and armed death squads to target and kill suspected narcotics peddlers and users when he was in power between 2016 and 2022. He was arrested and taken to The Hague last March.
Duterte has long insisted he instructed police to kill only in self-defence and has always defended the crackdown.
Appeals judges at the court yesterday dismissed a bid to throw out Duterte’s trial and said the court has jurisdiction over the case.
Lawyers for the octogenarian former president have also tried to argue that Duterte is unfit to stand trial due to alleged cognitive decline.
But judges in the pre-trial procedure ruled the case can proceed. It is rare for international courts to find suspects, even elderly ones, wholly unfit for trial. The ICC has never found a suspect unfit for trial despite several other defendants’ petitions.
