Former Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte Set to Appear Before International Criminal Court

Former Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte is scheduled to make his first appearance before judges at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague today at 1:00 PM GMT, following his recent arrest in Manila on murder charges tied to his “war on drugs” campaign during his presidency, The Guardian reported.

During the hearing, the court will formally inform him of the charges of crimes against humanity filed by the prosecution after a lengthy investigation into his administration’s controversial anti-drug operations, the report said.

Duterte’s “war on drugs,” which he initiated shortly after taking office in 2016, resulted in widespread allegations of extrajudicial killings and human rights violations. Reports suggest that as many as 30,000 people, primarily from impoverished urban areas, were killed during the campaign. The victims, mostly men, were often shot in the streets or their homes by police or unknown assailants.

While Philippine authorities claimed that the police killings were in self-defense, multiple human rights organisations and advocacy groups have challenged these assertions, alleging that police routinely fabricated evidence in an attempt to justify the deaths. Eyewitnesses to many of the killings have frequently stated that victims were unarmed and posed no threat when they were shot.

The former president’s administration is accused of overseeing a campaign that violated the rights of thousands, raising serious questions about the rule of law and accountability.

ALSO READ: China, Russia and Iran Call For End to US Sanctions and Resumption of Nuclear Talks