Judges at the International Criminal Court (ICC) have confirmed all three counts of murder as crimes against humanity against former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and committed him to trial.

On Thursday, the judges ruled there were “substantial grounds” to believe that Duterte, 81, played a key role in the murders of 76 people and the attempted murder of two others as part of his so-called “war on drugs,” which prosecutors allege killed thousands of civilians in the Philippines.

The court stated: “The available evidentiary material shows the existence of a common plan between Mr Duterte and his co-perpetrators to kill alleged criminals in the Philippines, including those perceived or alleged to be associated with drug use, sale or production, through violent crimes including murder.”

Prosecutors claim Duterte created, funded, and armed death squads to kill suspected drug dealers and users during his tenure from 2016 to 2022. Duterte was arrested in the Philippines last year but denies the charges, insisting he instructed police to kill only in self-defense.

His lead defense lawyer, Nick Kaufman, argued that prosecutors “cherry-picked” examples of his client’s “bombastic rhetoric” and that he never intended to incite violence. It remains unclear whether Duterte will attend his trial, as his defense team claims he is mentally too weak to follow proceedings.

In previous cases, the ICC has taken up to a year between confirmation of charges and the start of a trial. Estimates of the death toll during Duterte’s presidency range from 6,000 (police figures) to 30,000 (human rights groups).

Director of Amnesty International Philippines, Ritz Lee Santos, hailed the ICC ruling as a “historic moment for victims and international justice.” Maria Elena Vignoli of Human Rights Watch said Duterte’s trial will “send a powerful message that no one responsible for grave crimes is above the law.”

Source: www.aljazeera.com