Former Philippine President Duterte to be Tried at ICC After Judge Confirms Charges

Dok. Rodrigo Duterte. (Wikimedia Commons/PCOO EDP)

JAKARTA - Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte will be tried at the International Criminal Court (ICC) after judges on Thursday confirmed charges of crimes against humanity related to what he called a "war on drugs."

The pre-trial judge "unanimously confirmed all charges against Rodrigo Roa Duterte and decided to put him on trial," the ICC said in a statement, launching Al Arabiya from AFP (23/4).

The judges on Thursday said there were "substantial grounds" to believe Duterte played a key role in the killings of 76 people and the attempted murder of two others as part of a so-called "war on drugs", which prosecutors say has killed thousands of civilians in the Philippines.

"The available evidence indicates a common plan between Mr. Duterte and his associates to kill suspected criminals in the Philippines, including those who are considered or suspected to be involved in the use, sale, or production of drugs, through violent crimes including murder," the court said, quoted by Al Jazeera.

Prosecutors say Duterte created, funded and armed a hit squad to kill suspected drug dealers and users while he was in power between 2016 and 2022.

Duterte will be the first former Asian head of state to face trial at the ICC, which prosecutes individuals for the world's worst crimes such as war crimes and crimes against humanity.

However, it is not clear whether Duterte, who is 81, will attend his trial. He was arrested in the Philippines last year, denying the charges against him.

The defense team said Duterte was too mentally weak to follow the trial and he was not present in a series of hearings over a week to assess the validity of the charges.

The ICC is facing its most difficult period in history since its establishment 24 years ago, after the United States imposed sanctions on judges and key ICC officials following the issuance of arrest warrants against Israeli leaders related to the war in the Gaza Strip, Palestine.