'At the Very Heart of Murder': ICC Prosecutor Lays Out Devastating Case Against Duterte on Day 1 of Pre-Trial
The first day of Rodrigo Duterte's ICC confirmation of charges hearing was brutal — and the former president wasn't even there to hear it. ICC Deputy Prosecutor Mame Mandiaye Niang told the court that Duterte was "at the very heart" of a systematic plan to "neutralise alleged criminals, including through murder" — both as mayor of Davao City and later as president of the Philippines.
The prosecution laid out a chilling narrative: starting in 1988, Duterte formed the infamous Davao Death Squad (DDS) to kill criminals and suspected criminals. When he became president in 2016, he allegedly expanded this into a nationwide network of law enforcement officers, non-police assets, and hitmen. Duterte wielded "ultimate influence and authority" over the perpetrators, the prosecutor said — authorizing murders, selecting targets, promising immunity, and paying cash rewards per kill.
Niang quoted Duterte's own words against him, including a 2016 speech where he admitted riding around Davao on a motorcycle "looking for trouble" so he could personally kill. "I used to do it personally just to show to the guys that if I can do it, why can't you," the prosecutor quoted. He also cited a TV interview where Duterte told drug suspects: "If I become president, you will all get wiped out. I will order your execution within 24 hours."
Duterte, 80, is charged with three counts of crimes against humanity covering 49 incidents and 78 victims — though the prosecutor emphasized these are "merely a fraction of the overall criminality." Human rights groups estimate between 12,000 and 30,000 people were killed during the drug war, mostly poor men in urban areas shot dead in the streets or their own homes. Families of victims gathered in Manila and The Hague to watch the proceedings, with many calling it a long-awaited "moment of truth."
The defense boycotted the hearing, with Duterte announcing last week he would not appear because he is "old, tired and frail." Victims' families called it cowardice. The hearing continues through Friday, after which judges have 60 days to decide whether there's enough evidence for a full trial — a decision that could determine whether the Philippines' deadliest modern-era leader is finally held accountable.
Source: The Guardian
