Will Duterte ever face trial? ICC case slowed by health claims and court delays

The release of charges against Rodrigo Duterte by the International Criminal Court (ICC) has provided the most detailed public account yet of the killings tied to the former Philippine president’s bloody drug war, but the path to a full trial remains uncertain amid claims of his cognitive decline and his lawyers’ push to halt the case.

On Monday, the ICC’s Office of the Prosecutor released a heavily redacted document dated July 4 detailing the accusations against Duterte, who has been detained at a facility in The Hague since March.

The charges against the 80-year-old cover a total of 76 killings that took place between 2016 and 2018 in the Philippines, with some related to the “war on drugs” that he initiated at the beginning of his term in 2016.

For victims’ advocates, the charges are “significant” because they outline for the first time what prosecutors believe can be proved in court. But legal experts say the case’s progress depends on whether ICC judges confirm the charges – a step delayed as the court weighs Duterte’s fitness to stand trial and considers his legal team’s bid to adjourn proceedings indefinitely.

The first of the three counts concerns his time as Davao City mayor, where he was allegedly involved as a “co-perpetrator” in 19 murders that were carried out between 2013 and 2016.

  

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