The International Criminal Court (ICC) has formally indicted former president Rodrigo Duterte for crimes against humanity in connection with killings linked to his anti-illegal drugs campaign.
In a court filing signed by Deputy Prosecutor Mame Mandiaye Niang, the ICC Prosecutor accused Duterte of being responsible for dozens of murders carried out between 2013 and 2018, during his years as Davao City mayor and later as president.
According to the document, Duterte faces three counts of crimes against humanity for the deaths of 78 individuals.
“The Prosecution charges the murders and attempted murders below, although the actual scale of victimisation during the charged period was significantly greater, as reflected in the widespread nature of the attack,” the filing stated.
- Count 1: “Murder as a crime against humanity in Davao City” — 19 victims from 2013 to 2016.
- Count 2: “Murder as a crime against humanity of ‘High-Value Targets’ in locations across the Philippines” — 14 victims between 2016 and 2017.
- Count 3: “Murder and attempted murder as crimes against humanity in barangay clearance operations in locations across the Philippines” — 45 victims from 2016 to 2018.
The ICC Prosecutor argued that Duterte is liable for these killings through “indirect co-perpetration, ordering and inducing, and aiding and abetting.”
“During the Mayoral period, the attack was carried out predominantly by the Davao City police and paid non-police hitmen who together comprised the DDS (Davao Death Squad),” the document read.
“During the Presidential period, the attack was carried out by the National Network (predominantly law enforcement personnel with non-police assets and hitmen under their direction and/or control).”