Former Philippine president indicted by ICC for crimes against humanity

Former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte has been formally charged with crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court (ICC), marking a historic and controversial chapter in international justice.

Duterte, 80, is accused of being criminally responsible for dozens of murders allegedly carried out during his brutal anti-drug campaign, widely criticized for its extrajudicial nature, BBC reports.

The charges, which were filed in July but only unsealed on September 22, are based on a wide-ranging investigation into the so-called “war on drugs” launched during Duterte’s presidency. Thousands of small-time drug dealers, users, and civilians were reportedly killed without trial under the campaign, which the former president has repeatedly defended as a necessary measure to combat crime.

The ICC’s charge sheet, which includes redacted portions, was signed by Deputy Prosecutor Mame Mandiaye Niang. According to the document, Duterte acted as an "indirect co-perpetrator" in the killings, which were allegedly carried out by others, including police officers, as part of a coordinated state policy.

The indictment includes three separate counts:

Count One concerns Duterte’s alleged involvement in the killings of 19 individuals in Davao City between 2013 and 2016, while he was serving as mayor.

Count Two pertains to the murders of 14 so-called “high-value targets” across the Philippines during his presidency (2016–2022).

Count Three involves the murder and attempted murder of 45 individuals during village clearance operations carried out under the banner of the anti-drug campaign.

Prosecutors argue that Duterte and his alleged co-perpetrators “shared a common plan or agreement to 'neutralise' alleged criminals in the Philippines (including those perceived or alleged to be associated with drug use, sale or production) through violent crimes including murder.”

Although Duterte has never expressed regret for the crackdown, which officially claimed over 6,000 lives — with rights groups estimating the true number to be in the tens of thousands — he has maintained that the campaign was necessary to eliminate street crime and drug-related violence.

Notably, Rodrigo Duterte is the first Asian former head of state to be indicted by the ICC, and the first suspect to be flown to The Hague in over three years, where the court is headquartered. He has been in custody in the Netherlands since March 2025, after being arrested in Manila and transferred under sealed arrangements. Duterte has challenged the legality of his arrest, and his legal team maintains that he is unfit to stand trial due to deteriorating health.

His lawyer has argued that the former president suffers from “cognitive impairments in multiple domains,” and has petitioned the court for an indefinite postponement of proceedings.

Despite his incarceration, Duterte was re-elected mayor of Davao City in May 2025, with his son Sebastian Duterte — who had held the post since 2022 — continuing to serve as acting mayor in his father’s absence.

The indictment has further fueled political tensions in the Philippines. Supporters of the former president have alleged that the ICC process is being politically weaponized by current President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who has clashed publicly with the influential Duterte family. They claim the court is being used as a tool to weaken domestic rivals.

The ICC has no enforcement arm and relies on member states to execute arrests — a process often hindered by political resistance. Although President Marcos had previously dismissed cooperation with the ICC, Duterte’s extradition has raised questions about a possible policy shift or internal political negotiations behind the scenes.

By Vafa Guliyeva