The International Criminal Court announced this Thursday that it will try former Philippine leader Rodrigo Duterte after the judges in the preliminary phase confirmed all the charges against him. The ICC attributes involvement in at least 76 murders related to his "war on drugs."
First modification: 04/23/2026 - 12:48 Last modification: 04/23/2026 - 12:51
Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte will face trial at the International Criminal Court (ICC) after judges confirmed charges of crimes against humanity for his so-called "war on drugs" on Thursday.
The judges of the preliminary phase investigation chamber "unanimously confirmed all charges...against Rodrigo Roa Duterte and remanded him for trial," the ICC said in a statement.
ICC prosecutors have charged the former Manila president with three counts of crimes against humanity, accusing him of being involved in at least 76 murders linked to his anti-drug campaign, which has left thousands of victims since his election in 2016.
Duterte will be the first former Asian head of state to be tried at the ICC, a body that prosecutes individuals for the world's worst crimes, such as war crimes and crimes against humanity.
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The court is going through the most difficult time in its 24-year history, with the United States sanctioning key judges and officials after the ICC issued arrest warrants for Israel's leader over the war in Gaza.
It is unclear whether Duterte, 81, will attend his trial. His defense team maintains that he is too mentally weak to follow the procedures. In fact, he did not appear in a week of hearings intended to evaluate the validity of the charges.
The only time Rodrigo Duterte has been seen since his arrest was in an initial video appearance, where he appeared confused and tired, with barely audible speech.
The investigating judges concluded that there are "substantial grounds to believe that Duterte is responsible for the crimes against humanity of murder and attempted murder," the ICC statement concludes.
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