Former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte has been formally charged with crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court (ICC) over killings linked to his violent anti-drugs campaign.
The 80-year-old is accused of bearing criminal responsibility for a series of murders tied to the crackdown, which claimed the lives of thousands of suspected drug dealers and users, many executed without trial. The charges, first filed in July, were released to the public on Monday.
ICC deputy prosecutor Mame Mandiaye Niang described Duterte as an “indirect co-perpetrator” in the killings, saying they were largely carried out by others, including police officers.
The indictment cites three counts. The first covers the deaths of 19 people in Davao City between 2013 and 2016, when Duterte served as mayor. The second concerns the murder of 14 “high-value targets” nationwide during his presidency from 2016 to 2022. The third count links him to the killing and attempted killing of 45 people during so-called village clearance operations in the same period.
Prosecutors argued that Duterte and others around him “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.”
Duterte has consistently defended his bloody war on drugs, saying it was meant to rid the streets of crime. More than 6,000 deaths were officially recorded, though human rights groups claim the number could be far higher, reaching into the tens of thousands.
The former leader, who has offered no apologies for the crackdown, is the first Asian ex-head of state to be indicted by the ICC.
He is also the first suspect in over three years to be transferred to The Hague in the Netherlands, where the court is based. He has been in custody there since March.
His lawyer has said Duterte’s health is poor and that he is not in a condition to stand trial. Despite being behind bars, Duterte was re-elected mayor of Davao in May, with his son Sebastian continuing as acting mayor.
The case has stirred political tensions at home, with Duterte’s supporters accusing the ICC of being manipulated by current president Ferdinand Marcos, who has publicly clashed with the Duterte family.
While the ICC relies on member states to enforce arrest warrants, Marcos had earlier rejected the idea of working with the court.
