The International Criminal Court (ICC) released on Tuesday an official copy of its warrant of arrest against former President Rodrigo Duterte “for the crime against humanity of murder” in connection with his controversial war on drugs that killed thousands.
The 15-page document was written in English dated March 7, 2025 and signed by Presiding Judge Iulia Antoanella Motoc with fellow judges Reine Adelaide Sophie Alapini-Gansou and Maria del Socorro Flores Liera.
“Pursuant to the first sentence of article 19(1) of the Statute, the Chamber finds, on the basis of the materials submitted and without prejudice to the future determinations on the matter, that the case against Mr Duterte falls within the jurisdiction of the Court,” the warrant read.
“The Chamber is satisfied that the incidents described in the Application amount to crimes against humanity that have allegedly been committed by Mr Duterte, a national of the Philippines,” it added.
The ICC executed the warrant based on evidence gathered and witness testimonies assessed over the years, including accounts tagging Duterte as the “founder and head of the DDS” (Davao Death Squad) while he was mayor of Davao City until he became President of the Philippines.
The crimes covered DDS related killings between November 1, 2011 to March 16, 2019—years when the Philippines was still a member of the ICC. These cases fall within the Court’s jurisdiction, according to the Chamber.
“Considering Mr Duterte’s role and position during the Relevant Period as the Mayor of Davao City and the President of the Philippines and the fact that he was the head of the DDS, the Chamber finds that he necessarily knew about the operations and their scope,” the ICC said.
The Chamber noted that “at least 19 persons, allegedly drug pushers or thieves, were killed by members of the DDS in various locations in or around Davao City.” On top of this, 24 other alleged criminals were killed by law enforcement authorities under Duterte’s command.
“In light of the above findings, the Chamber considers that there are reasonable grounds to believe that the elements of the crimes against humanity of murder pursuant to article 7(1)(a) of the Statute are met and that the crime was committed in the territory of the Philippines,” the ICC said.
The ICC confirmed it had issued an arrest warrant against Duterte over alleged crimes against humanity during his deadly war on drugs.
“Once a suspect is in ICC custody, an initial appearance hearing will be scheduled,” said ICC spokesman Fadi Abdullah.
Duterte boarded a plane bound for The Hague late Tuesday evening to face the charges. — With Agence France Presse