We Are 99.9% Sure ICC Will Confirm Charges Against Ex-President Duterte, Human Rights Groups Say

2026-04-22 11:17:47

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) The first-ever Asian former head of state charged before the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity lost his latest bid to spring free from jail in The Hague, The Netherlands.

The ICC Appeals Chamber rejected the petition of former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte over jurisdiction, rejecting all of his four grounds of appeal. The ICC said on Wednesday its investigations on the bloody war on drugs campaign in the Philippines started as early as 2018 before Duterte ordered the country's withdrawal from the Rome Statute in 2019.

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It added a country's withdrawal cannot be used as a means to evade investigation and prosecution as it would undermine the Statute's purpose, which is to curb impunity.

“We are 99.9 per cent sure that the ICC would confirm the crimes against humanity charges against Duterte,” said Cristina Palabay, secretary general of Manila-based human rights group Karapatan.

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The former strongman, accused of having ordered the killing of as many as 30,000 suspected illegal drug dependents from 2012 to 2022, will remain in jail at the ICC detention unit at Scheveningen to await the Court's confirmation of charges next week.

Duterte was arrested on March 11, 2025 by virtue of an arrest warrant by the Interpol.

Justice knows no borders

Families of victims of Duterte's so-called anti-illegal drugs campaign rejoiced at the ICC's decision.

The Duterte Panagutin (Make Duterte Accountable) Network – Europe welcomed ICC's affirmation of its jurisdiction over the case, saying they are sure that the Duterte trial will proceed. "For the families of victims and their supporters, this is a clear message: accountability does not expire and justice knows no borders", said the group's convenor Patricia Enriquez.

Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (New Patriotic Alliance)-Europe spokesperson Lean Jimenez said:“After all the delays and maneuvers by the Duterte camp to try to evade justice, we can now say with finality that the trial will proceed.”

Jimenez added that Duterte's named co-conspirators in the killings, such as Senators Bato de la Rosa and Bong Go, as well as other high-ranking police and government officials, must now be arrested.

In Manila, members of the Rise Up for Rights and for Life group were in tears at the end of ICC's judgment presentation they viewed online on April 22.

Amy Jane Lee, who lost her husband at the height of the killings in 2017, said she could hardly believe that justice is about to catch up to Duterte.“We would have wanted him (Duterte) to be tried here in the country. But we are grateful that he will be tried nonetheless,” Lee said.

Karapatan said the ICC is set to present its decision on the confirmation of charges next week

If the ICC pre-trial chamber finds that there is sufficient evidence to support the charges against Duterte, it will commit the case against him to trial.

The ICC will then constitute a trial chamber responsible for conducting the subsequent phase of the proceedings that will be composed of three judges other than those who sat on the current pre-trial bench.