The International Criminal Court (ICC) has formally charged former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte with crimes against humanity, making him the first Asian ex-head of state to face such an indictment.
The 80-year-old is accused of bearing criminal responsibility for killings linked to his controversial anti-drug campaign, which left thousands dead. ICC Deputy Prosecutor Mame Mandiaye Niang identified Duterte as an “indirect co-perpetrator,” alleging that police and other actors carried out the murders under a shared plan to “neutralise” suspected criminals.
The indictment outlines three counts against him. The first involves 19 killings in Davao City from 2013 to 2016 while Duterte was mayor. The second centers on the deaths of 14 “high-value targets” across the Philippines during his presidency from 2016 to 2022. The third concerns 45 cases of murder and attempted murder linked to village-level operations in the same period.
Duterte has consistently defended his war on drugs, claiming it was necessary to curb crime, and has not expressed regret despite official figures reporting over 6,000 deaths—activists argue the toll could be far higher.
The former president, who has been in custody at The Hague since March, was re-elected as mayor of Davao in May, though his son Sebastian continues to serve as acting mayor. His legal team maintains he is too unwell to stand trial.
Duterte’s allies have accused President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. of using the ICC as a political weapon amid tensions between the two powerful families. While the court relies on state cooperation to enforce arrests, the Philippines’ government had previously ruled out cooperating with the tribunal.
