ICC opens pre-trial hearing for Philippines' Duterte

The International Criminal Court (ICC) will begin a four-day “confirmation of charges” hearing on Monday to determine whether former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte should stand trial for alleged crimes against humanity connected to his anti-drug campaign.

The hearing will assess whether prosecutors have presented sufficient evidence to move forward with a full trial, News.Az reports, citing AFP.

Duterte, 80, will not attend the proceedings in The Hague after the court approved a defense request to waive his right to be present, despite judges ruling that he was medically fit to participate.

Following the conclusion of the hearing, ICC judges will have 60 days to deliver a written decision on whether the case will proceed to trial.

Prosecutors have filed three counts of crimes against humanity against Duterte, alleging responsibility for at least 76 murders between 2013 and 2018. The first charge concerns 19 killings allegedly committed between 2013 and 2016 while Duterte was mayor of Davao City. The second relates to 14 murders of individuals labeled as “High Value Targets” during 2016 and 2017, when he was serving as president. The third charge covers 43 killings carried out in so-called “clearance” operations targeting lower-level alleged drug users and pushers across the Philippines between 2016 and 2018.

While the charges focus on 76 specific cases, the overall death toll from Duterte’s anti-drug campaign is believed to be in the thousands. Lawyers representing victims argue that proceeding to a full trial could encourage more families to come forward.

Duterte, who served as president from 2016 to 2022, was arrested in Manila in March last year and transferred to the Netherlands. He is currently being held at the ICC detention unit at Scheveningen Prison. During his initial court appearance three days after his arrest, he followed proceedings via video link, appearing frail and speaking only briefly.

His lawyer, Nicholas Kaufman, has stated that Duterte denies all charges.

Human Rights Watch described the start of the hearing as “a critical step in ensuring justice for victims of the Philippines’ ‘war on drugs.’”

The case unfolds amid mounting political pressure on the ICC, including two rounds of U.S. sanctions imposed since June 2025.

Although the Philippines withdrew from the ICC in 2019 under Duterte’s directive, the court has ruled that it retains jurisdiction over alleged crimes committed in the country between 2011 and 2019. The defense has appealed that ruling, and a decision on the matter remains pending.

Duterte is the first former Asian head of state to appear before the ICC. Despite the charges, he continues to enjoy significant popularity in the Philippines, where many citizens supported his hardline stance on crime.

Two demonstrations have been registered in The Hague for Monday — one in support of Duterte and another backing the victims of the anti-drug campaign.

News.Az 

By Nijat Babayev