HAGUE, Sept 23: The International Criminal Court (ICC) has charged former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte with crimes against humanity over his deadly war on drugs, the BBC reported.
The 80-year-old ex-leader faces three counts linked to extrajudicial killings that prosecutors say were part of a coordinated plan to eliminate drug suspects. According to the BBC, the ICC indictment, dated July but made public this week, accuses Duterte of being an “indirect co-perpetrator” of dozens of murders committed by police and other actors under his leadership.
Philippine officials deny coordinating Duterte arrest with ICC
The first count covers 19 killings in Davao City between 2013 and 2016, when Duterte was mayor. The second charge concerns the deaths of 14 alleged “high-value targets” during his presidency, while the third addresses 45 killings or attempted killings in nationwide anti-drug operations, the BBC said.
The BBC notes that Duterte has never expressed regret for the crackdown, which officially left more than 6,000 dead, though rights groups believe the real toll may be far higher. He repeatedly defended the campaign as necessary to fight crime.
Duterte is the first former Asian head of state indicted by the ICC and the first suspect in over three years to be brought to The Hague, where he has been held since March. His lawyer claims his health prevents him from standing trial, according to the BBC
Despite his detention, Duterte was re-elected mayor of Davao in May, with his son Sebastian continuing as acting mayor. Supporters accuse President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. of weaponising the ICC case to sideline the Duterte family, stated the BBC.
The BBC further reported that while the ICC relies on state cooperation to enforce its warrants, the Philippines under Marcos had previously signalled it would not cooperate with the court.
