MANILA, Philippines — The International Criminal Court’s Pre-Trial Chamber I has formally confirmed all charges against former President Rodrigo Duterte, clearing the way for a full trial to proceed.
The chamber found reasonable grounds to believe Duterte is responsible for crimes against humanity involving murder and attempted murder. The ruling was based on evidence presented during hearings in February, as well as documents and submissions from involved parties, including victims.
According to the ICC, the threshold of “substantial grounds to believe” was met under Article 7(1)(a) of the Rome Statute, the court’s governing law.
Duterte is set to be tried over alleged killings in Davao City during his time as mayor from 2013 to 2016, and over nationwide operations targeting alleged high-value individuals during his presidency from 2016 to 2017.
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