A three-judge panel at the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Thursday confirmed that former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte can stand trial on charges of crimes against humanity.
The charges relate to Duterte’s alleged role in overseeing a deadly anti-drug crackdown while he was mayor of Davao and later president of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022. The Hague-based court said there were “substantial grounds” to support accusations that Duterte was responsible for dozens of murders and that the evidence is sufficient to proceed to trial, with a date yet to be set.
The judges found that Duterte “developed, disseminated and implemented” a policy aimed at “neutralizing” alleged criminals. Human rights groups estimate some 30,000 people were killed during his six years in office, though national police figures cite about 6,000 deaths. Many suspects were reportedly summarily executed without trial.
Amnesty International said police “followed unverified lists of people allegedly using or selling drugs, stormed into their homes and shot dead unarmed people, including those who posed no risk nor resisted the arrest.” Prosecutors allege police and vigilante squads carried out killings at Duterte’s behest, sometimes motivated by promises of money or to avoid becoming targets themselves.
Ritz Lee Santos, director for Amnesty International Philippines, described the ICC’s confirmation of the charges as a “historic moment for victims and international justice.”
Duterte, 81, denies the charges. He was arrested in the Philippines in March 2025 and transferred to The Hague. He has waived his right to be present at hearings. Earlier this week, appeals judges rejected a defense request to dismiss the case on grounds that the court lacked jurisdiction due to the Philippines’ withdrawal from the ICC. Attempts by Duterte’s team to block the trial on health grounds have also failed after previous hearings were postponed for health reasons.
Duterte’s lead defense lawyer, Nick Kaufman, told The Associated Press the ICC decision “is based on the uncorroborated statements of vicious self-confessed murderers acting as cooperating witnesses.”
Edited by: Karl Sexton