Judges at the International Criminal Court (ICC) unanimously confirmed charges of crimes against humanity against former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday. The three-judge panel determined there are “substantial grounds” to hold the 81-year-old leader responsible for dozens of murders committed during his tenures as mayor of Davao and later as president.
Duterte, who was arrested in the Philippines last year and transferred to The Hague, continues to deny the allegations.
In a 50-page decision, the court found that Duterte “developed, disseminated and implemented” a policy designed to “neutralize” alleged criminals.
Prosecutors allege that starting in 2011, police and hit squad members carried out killings at Duterte’s behest, motivated by financial rewards or the fear of becoming targets themselves. Deputy prosecutor Mame Mandiaye Niang noted during pretrial hearings that “for some, killing reached the level of a perverse form of competition.”
While official police records cite over 6,000 deaths during his presidency, human rights organizations estimate the toll could be as high as 30,000.
The ruling has been met with emotional reactions from the families of victims. Randy delos Santos, whose nephew Kian was killed by police in 2017, stated that the decision “is for all the victims, who were not even given the chance to be recognized as victims because their stories were twisted in police reports.”
Maria Elena Vignoli of Human Rights Watch added that the trial “will send a powerful message that no one responsible for grave crimes is above the law.”
Duterte’s defense team, led by lawyer Nick Kaufman, expressed disappointment, arguing the decision “is based on the uncorroborated statements of vicious self-confessed murderers.”
The trial proceeds despite the Philippines’ earlier attempt to withdraw from the ICC, as appeals judges recently rejected a request to dismiss the case on jurisdictional grounds. While a specific trial date has not been set, the court recently deemed Duterte fit to stand trial following previous health concerns.
One notable shift in the proceedings is the disqualification of Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan due to a “reasonable appearance of bias” stemming from his past representation of victims before joining the ICC.