International Criminal Court opens hearings into ex-Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte

The International Criminal Court began pre-trial hearings on Monday for former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who is facing three counts of crimes against humanity for deadly anti-drugs crackdowns he oversaw while in office. Duterte, 80, was not in The Hague courtroom, having waived his right to appear as prosecutors began presenting evidence to support their charges of his alleged involvement in dozens of killings as part of his so-called war on drugs.

The charges date from Duterte’s time as mayor of the southern Philippine city of Davao and later as president, and include dozens of killings as part of his so-called war on drugs. Duterte has described the charges against him an “outrageous lie”. The Hague hearing is not a trial, but allows prosecutors to outline their case in court. After weighing the evidence, judges have 60 days to decide whether or not to confirm the charges.

Last month, judges found the octogenarian was fit to stand trial, after postponing an earlier hearing over concerns about his health. Rights groups and families of victims hailed Duterte’s arrest in March, saying it was a step forward for justice. “We have waited for this for so long, for years we have waited, but we did not relent,” Llore Pasco told reporters at a news conference ahead of the hearing. She said both of her sons left for work in May 2017 and never returned.