Rodrigo Duterte, the International Criminal Court (ICC) and Crimes Against Humanity

Former Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte is in the custody of the International Criminal Court (ICC) on allegations of crimes against humanity over his deadly “war on drugs”.

During his Presidency, Duterte gave the police impunity to use extrajudicial killings in a war against drugs. And he told citizens that if the police are not around, they could kill drug suspects themselves.

During that time, police and vigilantes accounted for at least 27,000 killings without due process.

The ICC alleges that Duterte created, funded and armed death squads that took part in the murders of alleged drug users and dealers.

As well as drug suspects, critics of extrajudicial killings and the government were killed.

Here are the numbers of critics killed during Duterte's Presidency: 23 journalists; 66 judges, lawyers and prosecutors; 28 mayors and vice mayors; 16 priests, ministers and churchworkers; 166 land and environmental defenders; and 427 activists, human rights defenders and grassroots organizers.

"Six years of blood and violence: People we lost under Duterte" by Jodesz Gavilan for Rappler
https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/duterte-administration-blood-viole…

"'License to Kill' Philippine Police Killings in Duterte’s 'War on Drugs'” by Human Rights Watch
https://www.hrw.org/report/2017/03/02/license-kill/philippine-police-ki…

"Remembering EJK victims" an editorial by the Philippines Daily Inquirer
https://opinion.inquirer.net/177999/remembering-ejk-victims

"Families of EJK victims welcome Duterte's arrest" by Lyza Aquino for ABS-CBN News
https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/3/11/families-of-ejk-victims-w…

"On the President's Orders" a PBS Frontline documentary on Duterte's drug war and extrajudicial killings
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qugduxazBBg