Philippines: The International Criminal Court Goes After Duterte’s Drug War

“On 15 September, a pre-trial chamber of the International Criminal Court (ICC) authorised the court’s Office of the Prosecutor to open an official investigation into crimes against humanity allegedly committed in the Philippines between 2011 and 2019 as part of President Rodrigo Duterte’s controversial “war on drugs”, as well as atrocities around Davao, in the southern island of Mindanao, when he was the city’s vice mayor.

“Following a three-year ‘preliminary examination’ of the alleged crimes, the prosecutor sought permission in June to proceed with a more formal investigation, arguing that Duterte’s anti-drug campaign ‘cannot be seen as a legitimate law enforcement operation,’ adding that the killings can be viewed ‘neither as legitimate nor as mere excesses in an otherwise legitimate operation.’ Instead, the prosecutor asserted that the campaign, which led to the deaths of thousands, was a ‘widespread and systematic attack against the civilian population” that “took place pursuant to or in furtherance of a State policy.’”

Read the full report from the International Crisis Group here.

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