03/03/2026
JUST IN: The International Criminal Court prosecution opened Monday the pre-trial hearing of former President Rodrigo Duterte for his charges of murder and attempted murder as crimes against humanity.
The hearing, which is not yet a determination of Duterte’s guilt or innocence, will last until Friday. ICC judges will be given up to 60 days after the hearing to decide whether or not there is substantial evidence to bring the former president’s case to trial.
Duterte is facing charges of crimes against humanity on three counts: first, for the murder of 19 individuals in Davao City, including three children, as perpetrated by the Davao Death Squad, over which he allegedly presided as city mayor. The two other counts are for the murder of 14 “high-value targets” across the country and the murder of 43 and attempted murder of two individuals during barangay clearance operations by the “national network,” which transpired during his presidency.
Duterte’s hand in these killings, as per the prosecution, included organizing anti-crime operations, abetting impunity, and arming and incentivizing key personnel, among others.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This post initially stated that the ICC prosecution has formally charged Duterte with murder and attempted murder as crimes against humanity. It has since been updated to reflect that the ICC has merely opened the pre-trial hearing, which does not yet determine the former president’s guilt or innocence.
