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FORMER Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte has been formally charged by the International Criminal Court (ICC) with three counts of murder in connection with the killings of alleged drug suspects during his tenure as both mayor and head of state.
Bloomberg cited today that in a filing dated 4 July and made public on 22 September, ICC prosecutors alleged that Duterte, alongside unnamed co-perpetrators, “shared a common plan or agreement to ‘neutralise’ alleged criminals in the Philippines… through violent crimes including murder.”
The charges relate to extrajudicial killings that occurred under Duterte’s controversial anti-narcotics campaign, widely condemned by international human rights organisations.
The ICC indictment states that Duterte acted as an indirect co-perpetrator and that he “ordered and aided the commission of the crimes.”
Duterte, who governed with a hardline stance on crime and drugs, has consistently denied direct involvement in the killings, which human rights groups say number in the thousands.
The former president is currently detained in ICC custody, following a decision by the government of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to permit his arrest—signalling a significant deterioration in their political alliance.
A hearing to confirm the charges and assess Duterte’s fitness to stand trial was initially scheduled for earlier this month but has been postponed. The ICC has yet to set a new date.
If confirmed, the charges could make Duterte the highest-ranking Southeast Asian official to be prosecuted for crimes against humanity before the ICC. - September 23, 2025
