The International Criminal Court (ICC) has publicly released, for the first time, the charge sheet against former President Rodrigo Duterte, recommending the filing of three counts of crimes against humanity for murder in connection with his controversial anti-crime campaign. The charges involve 78 victims.
The 15-page document, filed on July 4 but only publicized on Monday night, Sept. 22 (Manila time), via the ICC’s website, states that the former chief executive must be held “criminally responsible” for the murder of 76 victims and the attempted murder of two others, spanning the period from his tenure as mayor Davao City to his presidency.
ICC Deputy Prosecutor Mame Mandiaye Niang recommended the filing based on Duterte’s alleged role in “indirect co-perpetration,” “ordering and/or inducing,” and “aiding and abetting” the murders, pursuant to relevant Rome Statute provisions.
There were 49 incidents—all heavily redacted—laid out in the document.
The first count involved 19 victims in nine incidents between 2013 and 2016 when Duterte was still mayor in his hometown, while the second count involved “high-value targets” of 14 victims when he was already president from 2016 to 2017.
The third count involved murder and attempted murder charges as a crime against humanity during the “barangay clearance operations” in various locations across the country. It involved 45 victims—wherein 43 were killed—between 2016 and 2018.
In listing down the incident of the crimes, the ICC prosecution said that “the actual scale of victimisation during the charged period was significantly greater, as reflected in the widespread nature of the attack.”
“The attack was carried out pursuant to a State policy to ‘neutralise’ through violent crimes, including murder, alleged criminals in the Philippines who were perceived or allegedto be involved in drug-related (including production, sale and use) and other crimes (such as theft and murder),” it added. (Raymund Antonio)
