Former Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte will face trial at the International Criminal Court after judges on Thursday, April 23, confirmed charges of crimes against humanity over his so-called "war on drugs." Pre-trial judges "unanimously confirmed all the charges... against Rodrigo Roa Duterte and committed him to trial," the ICC said in a statement.
Duterte will be the first Asian former head of state to face trial at the ICC, which prosecutes individuals for the world's worst crimes such as war crimes and crimes against humanity.
During so-called "confirmation of charges" hearings in February, the prosecution alleged Duterte killed thousands of suspected drug pushers and users, first as mayor of Davao City, then as president. "Decades of murdering his own people, murdering the children of the Philippines, and he claims that he did it all for his country. He doesn't deny it," said Julian Nicholls, summing up for the prosecution after the hearings. "He ran a death squad in Davao (city) that he created. He ran it for over 20 years before he became president. His promise was to kill thousands and he did."
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Rodrigo Duterte to Face ICC Trial After Judges Confirm Charges
04/23/2026
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