Philippines’ Duterte authorised murders, ICC told as hearings open
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The “confirmation of charges” hearing will determine whether there is enough evidence against former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte to proceed to a trial.
PHOTO: REUTERS
THE HAGUE – Rodrigo Duterte personally authorised murders and handpicked some of the victims of his “war on drugs”, the International Criminal Court heard on Feb 23, as proceedings against the former Philippines president kicked off
ICC deputy prosecutor Mame Mandiaye Niang said that the week-long “confirmation of charges” hearings, where judges will decide whether to open a full trial against Duterte, was “a reminder that those in power are not above the law”.
The 80-year-old Duterte did not appear judges ruling he was fit to take part
Following the hearing, the judges will have 60 days to issue a written decision on whether he should face a full trial.
Mr Niang said Duterte played a “pivotal” role in the extrajudicial killings of suspected drug dealers and users, first as mayor of Davao City then as president. He “authorised murders and personally selected some of the victims”, said Mr Niang.
Duterte’s defence lawyer Nicholas Kaufman hit back, calling the charges “grievously misplaced and politically motivated”. Duterte “stands behind his legacy resolutely. He maintains his innocence absolutely,” said Mr Kaufman.
Mr Kaufman acknowledged that his client was “a unique phenomenon” who was “gung-ho in his ways” and full of “hyperbole, bluster and rhetoric”.
But he accused the prosecution of “cherry-picking” through Duterte’s speeches, adding that many of them insist on the importance of sticking to the law.
Rival groups of demonstrators camped outside the court from early Feb 23.
Ms Patricia Enriquez, a 36-year-old researcher, said it was “a historic moment” for victims of Duterte’s alleged crimes.
“It is emotional. It is hopeful. It is also very painful,” the researcher told AFP. “I’m hoping that all the Filipinos and everybody in the world will stand with us, stand with truth, stand with justice and stand with accountability,” she added.
However, 35-year-old chef Aldo Villarta said it was a “slap in the face” for the Philippines that an international court was trying the country’s former leader. “We’ve already suffered so long from colonisation,” he said, arguing also that Duterte’s human rights were being infringed by imprisonment.
‘High value targets’
Duterte faces three counts of crimes against humanity, with prosecutors alleging his involvement in at least 76 murders between 2013 and 2018.
The true number of killings during his campaign in the Philippines is thought to be in the thousands, and lawyers for the victims have argued that a full trial could encourage many more families to come forward.
Mr Niang said the murder charges were “merely a fraction” of the real numbers killed.
Duterte, who was president from 2016 to 2022, was arrested in Manila in March 2025, flown to the Netherlands and has since been held at the ICC’s detention unit at Scheveningen Prison.
He followed his initial hearing three days later by video link, appearing dazed and frail and barely speaking.
The first of three counts against Duterte concerns his alleged involvement as a co-perpetrator in 19 murders carried out between 2013 and 2016 while he was Davao City’s mayor.
The second relates to 14 murders of so-called “High-Value Targets” in 2016 and 2017 when he was president.
The third charge covers 43 murders committed during “clearance” operations of lower-level alleged drug users or pushers across the Philippines between 2016 and 2018.
In Manila, about 60 relatives of those killed in the crackdown gathered around two television monitors to watch the hearing at a Catholic Church-run community centre for the poor.
The mainly elderly and middle-aged women whose husbands or sons were shot dead in police operations told AFP they were disappointed Duterte had not been required to appear.
“Maybe he does not want to own up to his sins,” said Ms Gloria Sarmiento, whose boyfriend was found dead alongside his brother in the last few weeks of the Duterte presidency.
“Maybe he is a coward.” AFP
