Published On 4/23/2026
Today, Thursday, the judges of the International Criminal Court confirmed the filing of charges of crimes against humanity against former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte (80 years old), against the backdrop of the bloody anti-drug campaigns that he supervised during his rule.
A panel of three judges in The Hague confirmed that there are “substantial reasons” to believe that Duterte is responsible for dozens of murders, whether during his tenure as mayor of the city of Davao in the southern Philippines, or later during his presidency of the country.
The authorities arrested Duterte last year in the Philippines, and he denied the charges against him.
The evidence indicates that Duterte “developed, disseminated and implemented” a policy aimed at “neutralizing” those suspected of committing crimes, a 50-page decision said.
According to the prosecution, police officers and members of assassination squads carried out killings on his orders, motivated by obtaining money or fearing that they would become targets in turn.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Mami Mandyaye Niang said during hearings last February that some of the killings had reached a “perverse level of competition,” without setting an official date for the start of the trial.
Estimates vary regarding the number of deaths during Duterte’s presidential term, as the National Police announced that their number exceeded 6,000, while human rights organizations say the number reaches 30,000, and the families of the victims welcomed Duterte’s arrest last March.
