DETAINED former President Rodrigo Duterte was charged with murder and attempted murder of at least 78 victims during his war against illegal drugs.
In the public redacted version of “Document Containing the Charges” released by the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Monday, September 22, 2025, Duterte was charged with the following:
* Count 1: Murder as a crime against humanity in Davao City, during his term as the city mayor, of the 19 victims in at least nine incidents between 2013 and around 2016 as indirect co-perpetration and/or ordering and/or inducing and/or aiding and abetting.
* Count 2: Murder as a crime against humanity of “High-Value Targets” in locations across the Philippines during the presidential period of the 14 victims in at least 10 to 14, between around 2016 and 2017, as an indirect co-perpetration and/or ordering and/or inducing and/or aiding and abetting.
* Count 3: Murder and attempted murder as crimes against humanity in barangay clearance operations in locations across the Philippines of the 45 victims, 43 of which were killed, in 15 to 49 incidents, between when Duterte was President between around 2016 and 2018, as an indirect co-perpetrator, and/or by ordering and/or inducing, and/or aiding and abetting.
The ICC said the prosecution charged Duterte murders and attempted murders “although the actual scale of victimization during the charged period was significantly greater, as reflected in the widespread nature of the attack.”
“Together, Duterte and his co-perpetrators established a network of perpetrators comprising State actors such as law enforcement officers (including personnel from the PNP, PDEA, the NBI and the Bureau of Corrections (‘BuCor’)), non-police assets and hitmen (together, “the National Network”), to operate in a similar manner as the DDS in conducting operations to kill alleged criminals in accordance with the Common Plan,” the document read.
“Some of the victims were listed in the ‘PRRD List’ (referring to the initials of ‘President Rodrigo Roa Duterte’), with targets categorized by tier according to their assigned ‘value’ (Levels 1 to 5). Police who killed a target on the list could access a covert reward system (which existed outside of the regular formal rewards system) and receive a payment ranging from 50,000 to one million Philippine pesos, depending on the level of the target,” it added.
The ICC has postponed the scheduled commencement of the confirmation hearing in the case against Duterte, who was arrested in March, following a request from his counsel because he “is not fit to stand trial.” (TPM/SunStar Philippines)
