Duterte was ‘pivotal’ in murder of thousands, ICC prosecutors say

South China Morning Post · Feb 23, 2026 · Collected from RSS

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Former Philippine president Rodrigo ⁠Duterte was “pivotal” in the ⁠murder of thousands of people during his ⁠reign, prosecutors at the International Criminal Court (ICC) said on Monday, as they pushed for his trial to go ahead.The prosecutors at the Hague-based war crimes court have charged Duterte with three counts of murder as a crime against humanity, involving dozens of ‌victims that accusers say were only a fraction of the real death toll in his clampdown on alleged drug users and criminals.“Duterte’s so-called war on drugs resulted in the killings of thousands of civilians and many of these victims were children,” prosecutor Mame Niang said at the opening of pre-trial hearings meant to confirm charges.“Mr Duterte must be held to account and ⁠this case should be confirmed for trial,” he said.Under the ICC rules, judges will have to confirm ‌charges before the case can move to trial. Duterte served as president of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022 and was arrested and taken to The Hague ‌last March.Former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte at a proclamation rally for his political party in Metro Manila in the Philippines in February 2025. Photo: ReutersAccording to the prosecutors, Duterte created, funded and armed death squads to target ⁠and kill alleged ⁠narcotics peddlers and users.