In a landmark ruling dated April 23, 2026, the International Criminal Court (ICC) Pre-Trial Chamber I confirmed all charges against former President Rodrigo Duterte, clearing the final procedural hurdle for a full-scale trial.
The “50-page decision” follows a pivotal ruling by the Appeals Chamber just one day prior, which firmly upheld the ICC’s jurisdiction over the case. The Chamber found that there are “substantial grounds to believe” Duterte committed the crimes charged, specifically focusing on murder and attempted murder occurring within the context of his administration’s controversial anti-drug campaign.
The Scope of the Prosecution
The case details a “widespread and systematic attack against civilians,” with prosecutors arguing that the killings were not isolated incidents but part of a coordinated state policy.
While the prosecution provided a specific list of victims, the Chamber noted that these represent a “non-exhaustive list,” indicating that the actual scale of the violence may be significantly larger than the initial charges suggest.
Allegations of Command Responsibility
Central to the ICC’s case is Duterte’s alleged role as the architect of the campaign. Prosecutors place him at the “apex” of a structure designed to carry out the attacks during his tenures as both Davao City Mayor and President of the Philippines.
The Chamber outlined several modes of liability for which Duterte may be held responsible, including:
- Indirect co-perpetration
- Ordering or inducing crimes
- Aiding or abetting their commission
Next Steps in the Judicial Process
Duterte, who was arrested in March 2025 and remains in detention at The Hague, will now face a Trial Chamber to determine his ultimate guilt or innocence. The ICC emphasized that this confirmation of charges is not a final verdict, but a mechanism to ensure that “only cases with a sufficient evidentiary basis proceed to trial.”
The upcoming trial will involve a rigorous examination of witness credibility and the weighing of evidence to reach a final determination on the former leader’s liability for the thousands of deaths linked to the “War on Drugs.”