Responding to the International Criminal Court confirming all crimes against humanity charges against former Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte, paving the way for full trial proceedings, the Director of Amnesty International Philippines Ritz Lee Santos said:
“Families of victims and survivors of the ‘war on drugs’ have waited far too long for justice. The ICC’s confirmation of all charges against former President Duterte is a historic moment for victims and international justice. It sends a clear message that those who are alleged to have committed widespread and systematic murder as a crime against humanity will one day find themselves in the dock, facing trial. Justice may be slow in coming, but it cannot be delayed forever.
“This trial is not about politics. It is about a campaign in which thousands of people were killed in cold blood, and a justice system in the Philippines that has consistently failed them. The ICC is acting because the authorities would not. For years, those responsible for unlawful killings have operated with impunity, but that era is ending.
“For the survivors and victims’ families who have carried their grief in silence, today affirms that their voices have been heard and their persistence is not in vain. As these proceedings move forward, the international community will bear witness not only to the crimes that Duterte is alleged to have committed, but to the courage of those who never stopped demanding justice.
“The ICC must now ensure victims’ rights to participate in the trial and guarantee that witnesses are protected so that the trial can decide on the allegations facing Duterte. Meanwhile, efforts must stop at nothing to ensure that all those individually responsible for crimes under international law and grave human rights violations are held accountable, whether in the Philippines or at the ICC.”
Background
The Pre-Trial Chamber of the International Criminal Court today decided that former President Duterte should stand trial for all three charges against him of murder and attempted murder as crimes against humanity.
In March 2025, former President Duterte was arrested by the Philippine government and surrendered to the ICC to face charges of murder and attempted murder as crimes against humanity linked to his government’s so-called “war on drugs” and previously his time as mayor of Davao City between 2013 and 2016. Duterte’s initial appearance before the Court took place on 14 March 2025.
Since his arrest, he has been awaiting trial in ICC custody in the Netherlands. Lawyers for the former President have challenged the Court’s jurisdiction, his ongoing detention and his fitness to stand trial.
In January 2026, a Pre-Trial Chamber determined, following a review by medical experts, that Duterte is fit to stand trial. On 22 April 2026, the Appeals Chamber confirmed that the Court may exercise jurisdiction over the alleged crimes.
During the Duterte administration from 2016 to 2022, thousands of people, mostly from poor and marginalized communities, were unlawfully killed by the police – or by armed individuals suspected to have links to the police – as part of the “war on drugs”.
Amnesty International has published major investigations detailing extrajudicial executions and other human rights violations by police and their superiors. The organization has determined that the acts committed reach the threshold of crimes against humanity.
The ICC continues to investigate further potential crimes against humanity, during the “war on drugs” and by the Davao Death Squad in Davao City while Duterte served as mayor from 2011 to 2016. On 13 February 2026 a “Public Lesser Redacted Version” of the document containing charges listed eight other persons as co-perpetrators of crimes alongside Duterte. No further arrest warrants have been made public yet.
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