APCHRP: Charges against Rodrigo Duterte welcome, as trial finally progresses despite delaying tactics by the defense team

The Asia Pacific Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (APCHRP) welcomes the decision of the International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor to file charges against former President Rodrigo Duterte for crimes against humanity. The charges are in connection to 49 incidents related to the “war on drugs,” where 78 persons were shot or killed by police, members of the Davao Death Squad (DDS) or other mercenary groups. These incidents spanned from Duterte’s tenure as Davao City mayor up to his presidency.

The ICC’s recognition of these crimes is a crucial step for the Filipino people in the pursuit of justice for all victims of his violent rule. However, the number of deaths cited in these charges is merely a fraction of the true extent of Duterte’s brutal “war on drugs”. Human rights groups have estimated the death toll at more than 30,000, many of whom were minors merely caught in police operations and had no involvement in illegal drugs. The bloody campaign also disproportionately targeted impoverished Filipinos, and was marred with rampant corruption within the police force wherein cops forced arrests or killings to meet certain quotas.

The narrow criteria for victims included in the ICC’s charges depraves thousands of other Filipinos who lost loved ones during the war on drugs. It also reduces the number of victims and surviving family members who will be recognized and can participate in the case.

Moreover, human rights watchdog KARAPATAN reveals that under Duterte’s regime, from July 2016 to June 2022, thousands of abuses were documented in relation to his counterinsurgency program – widely influenced by U.S. imperialist interests. This included 422 extrajudicial killings, 574 frustrated killings, 21 enforced disappearances, and 233 cases of torture mostly targeting youth activists, environmentalists, human rights defenders and advocates, lawyers, trade unionists, indigenous peoples’ leaders, among others.

Widespread human rights abuses were also recorded, including 2,957 warrantless arrests and 1,463 illegal searches and seizures. Livelihoods and properties were gravely affected, with 6,912 demolitions, 8,072 incidents of property destruction, and more than 481,000 cases of forced evacuation.

The scale of human rights violations under Rodrigo Duterte’s regime was staggering and he should be made to account for every single one of those abuses. Narrowing the scope of crimes against humanity committed by the Duterte regime may be a strategy for the prosecution, but it is a disservice for the victims of mass killings, illegal detentions, attempted killings and for their families who also suffered during their ordeal.

Nonetheless, the progress in this case is welcome news. The charges laid against Rodrigo Duterte is the first criminal allegation against a president of the Philippines in its long history of human rights abusers and dictators. The APCHRP looks forward to the confirmation of charges hearing, which was rescheduled after the defense team claimed Duterte was not fit to stand trial last 23 September, and hope it will be rescheduled at the soonest possible time.

The Asia Pacific Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (APCHRP) calls on all ICC member-states to urge the continuation of Duterte’s trial and to ensure that he is held accountable for his crimes. He should not be granted ‘interim release’ or be harboured by any of the current ICC member-states. The Coalition also opposes any further postponement of the hearing as this is merely delaying tactics by Duterte’s defense team. Justice delayed is justice denied, and the Filipino people must not be made to wait any longer.

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