Rodrigo Duterte, the former president of the Philippines, is set to stand trial for crimes against humanity after judges at the International Criminal Court (ICC) confirmed the charges against him. The 81-year-old is accused of orchestrating the extrajudicial killings of thousands during his controversial 'war on drugs' campaign, which took place between 2011 and 2019.
ICC Confirms Charges
The ICC stated on Thursday that the charges were 'unanimously confirmed' by pre-trial judges, who found 'substantial grounds to believe' that Duterte had committed the alleged crimes. This confirmation comes after multiple appeals by the former president to be released from detention, where he has been held for over a year.
Duterte's Legal Challenges
Duterte has refused to recognize the ICC proceedings, arguing that the Philippines withdrew from the Rome Statute, the ICC's founding treaty, in 2019 during his presidency. However, on Wednesday, judges in the ICC's Pre-Trial Chamber ruled that the court could still hear the case because the alleged crimes occurred between 2011 and 2019, a period when the Philippines was still a member of the ICC.
According to the ICC, judges have also authorized over 500 victims to participate in the proceedings.
The 'War on Drugs' Campaign
At the center of the trial is Duterte's 'war on drugs,' which human rights groups claim targeted and killed small-time drug dealers while failing to capture major drug lords. Duterte has denied the allegations, calling the charges 'an outrageous lie.' The police have maintained that they only used lethal force in self-defense.
Duterte's lawyers had argued that the former president was unfit to participate in ICC proceedings due to cognitive impairment. However, ICC judges rejected this argument, citing medical experts' opinions that Duterte is fit to take part in the proceedings and effectively exercise his procedural rights.
Political Context
Duterte's arrest at a Manila airport and subsequent transfer to The Hague last year resulted from a falling out between his daughter, Sara Duterte, and the incumbent president, Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
The ICC trial has been hailed as a historic moment by critics of his deadly crackdown on drugs. Leila de Lima, a member of the Philippines' House of Representatives and one of Duterte's staunchest critics, said the confirmation of the charges marked 'a great day for the fighters against impunity and state-sponsored violence.' She added, 'The wheels of justice should have not taken this long to turn. But we take what we are dealt with for the sake of the rule of law. Today we celebrate even as we grieve for those we lost to Duterte's madness.'
Reactions from Human Rights Groups
Human rights organization KARAPATAN described the development as 'vindication of the Filipino people's efforts to uphold and pursue justice and accountability for the killings of thousands under Duterte's bloody regime.' However, they noted that it was 'bittersweet,' as 'the thousands of lives taken by those who spit on human dignity cannot be brought back. Their families remain stricken with grief on their loss, and the majority remain as poor as ever. Extrajudicial killings continue in most places in the country where injustice and impunity continues to reign.'
Malacañang Palace, the office of the Philippine president, also welcomed the news.
Despite the legal proceedings, Duterte retains a fervent base of supporters who have staged protests against his detention, with some pointing to rising electricity bills as a distraction.
