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The International Criminal Court (ICC) has confirmed charges of crimes against humanity against former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte, rejecting his defence's appeal and clearing the way for what would be the first trial of a former Asian head of state at the Hague-based tribunal, judges announced on Thursday.

The pre-trial chamber "unanimously confirmed all the charges" against the 81-year-old and committed him to trial, according to a statement cited by France 24. The judges found "substantial grounds to believe" that Duterte is responsible for the crimes of murder and attempted murder as part of his so-called "war on drugs," as reported by both France 24 and the Jerusalem Post.

Coverage Comparison

Coverage of the decision in the outlets surveyed was broadly similar in substance, though with slightly different emphases. ABC Australia focused on the court's rejection of Duterte's appeal, noting that judges "threw out" the defence challenge and rejected all four grounds of appeal, per presiding judge Luz del Carmen Ibáñez Carranza. France 24 highlighted the historic nature of the case—Duterte will be the first Asian former head of state to face trial at the ICC—and placed it in the context of the court's current difficulties, including US sanctions on its officials.

The Jerusalem Post and South China Morning Post both reported the confirmation of charges, with the former citing specific figures, while SCMP, writing ahead of the decision, noted the court was expected to issue a written ruling by April 28 and described expectations that the trial could proceed at a "glacial pace," potentially taking years.

Key Claims

According to multiple sources, Duterte faces three counts of crimes against humanity, including murder and attempted murder, related to his time as mayor of Davao City from 2013 to 2016 and as president until March 2019, when the Philippines withdrew from the ICC. The charges stem from his administration's anti-narcotics crackdown, which Philippine police have acknowledged killed more than 6,000 suspects, though rights groups have put the toll as high as 30,000, as reported by the South China Morning Post.

The Jerusalem Post reported that judges cited "substantial grounds" to believe Duterte played a key role in the murders of 76 people and the attempted murder of two others, a figure not mentioned by other outlets in this sample. The same source quoted the court as saying the evidence showed a "common plan" between Duterte and others to kill suspected criminals.

Duterte's defence had argued that the ICC lacked jurisdiction because the Philippines is no longer a party to the Rome Statute, the court's founding treaty, as reported by ABC Australia. The prosecution countered that the alleged crimes occurred while the Philippines was still a member, and in October the pre-trial chamber sided with the prosecution, ruling that the investigation into Duterte had begun before the withdrawal. The appeals court upheld that decision, according to ABC.

The South China Morning Post reported that prosecutors pointed to the so-called Davao Death Squad, saying Duterte had "personally selected some of the targets" as mayor and later as president, offering cash rewards for killings—a claim carried by a single outlet and not independently verified in the others.

Perspectives

Defence: Duterte's lawyers have argued that his public statements about killing criminals were mere rhetoric intended to instill fear, and have maintained that the court lacks jurisdiction since the Philippines left the ICC. They have also said the former president is not mentally fit to stand trial, as reported by France 24 and the Jerusalem Post.

Prosecution: Prosecutors allege that Duterte created, funded, and armed death squads to kill drug suspects, acting as an "indirect co-perpetrator" in a conspiracy with police, according to the South China Morning Post.

Philippine government: The office of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. issued a statement saying it respected the ruling and that "justice must be served," while noting that both sides could benefit from the process, as reported by the Jerusalem Post.

Observers quoted by the South China Morning Post expect the trial to proceed slowly, with proceedings potentially taking years to reach a ruling.