THE HAGUE: Former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte was “pivotal” in the murder of thousands of people during his reign, prosecutors at the International Criminal Court (ICC) said on Monday, as they pushed for his trial to go ahead.

The prosecutors at the Hague-based war crimes court have charged Duterte with three counts of murder as a crime against humanity, involving dozens of victims that accusers say were only a fraction of the real death toll in his clampdown on alleged drug users and criminals.

“Duterte’s so-called war on drugs resulted in the killings of thousands of civilians and many of these victims were children,” prosecutor Mame Niang said at the opening of pre-trial hearings meant to confirm charges.

“Mr Duterte must be held to account and this case should be confirmed for trial,” he said. Under the ICC rules, judges will have to confirm charges before the case can move to trial. Duterte served as president of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022 and was arrested and taken to The Hague last March.

According to the prosecutors, Duterte created, funded and armed death squads to target and kill alleged narcotics peddlers and users. Duterte has long insisted he instructed police to kill only in self-defence and has always defended the crackdown.

“Mr Duterte played a pivotal role in the committing of the charged crimes. His contribution was essential, as he was at the very heart of the plan to neutralise alleged criminals including through murder,” Niang said.

Opponents of Duterte gathered outside the court building, chanting “Hold Duterte accountable!” in Tagalog. “I hope, and I am quite confident, that the charges of murder and attempted murder will be confirmed” and Duterte’s guilt ultimately proven, Cristina Palabay, a worker at the human rights alliance Karapatan, said outside court. Duterte, 80, will not be present at the hearings, as his defence said he would not be able to understand proceedings due to his cognitive decline.

“For us, it’s cowardice,” said Sheerah Escudero, whose brother was killed during the war on drugs. “We know that Duterte will not be able to escape accountability.” After the hearings conclude on Friday, judges will take up to 60 days to decide if there is sufficient evidence to move the case to a trial.

‘High value targets’

Duterte faces three counts of crimes against humanity, with prosecutors alleging his involvement in at least 76 murders between 2013 and 2018. The true number of killings during his campaign in the Philippines is thought to be in the thousands, and lawyers for the victims have argued that a full trial could encourage more families to come forward.

Niang said the murders charges were “merely a fraction” of the real numbers killed.

Another prosecutor, Julian Nicholls, said: “The evidence shows… that Mr Duterte murdered thousands of his own people, Filippino men, women, and children.” Showing multiple videos of Duterte threatening to kill criminals, Nicholls said: “He repeatedly promised to kill people. He said it. He did it. That is who he is.” Duterte, who was president from 2016 to 2022, was arrested in Manila in March last year, flown to the Netherlands and has since been held at the ICC’s detention unit at Scheveningen Prison.

Published in Dawn, February 24th, 2026