THE International Criminal Court (ICC) has made its move against former President Rodrigo Duterte, unsealing on Monday, Sept. 22, 2025, charges accusing him of murder and attempted murder connected to his bloody campaign against illegal drugs.
The counts cover at least 78 victims killed or targeted between 2013 and 2018, stretching from his final years as Davao City mayor to the early years of his presidency.
On Tuesday, Sept, 23, Duterte’s Cebu-based supporters led by Moises Garcia Deiparine, head of the Duterte’s Rider Group, issued a statement. He said their hope was the interim release for Duterte, who has been in ICC detention since March.
THE CHARGES. The ICC’s document containing the charges lays out three strands:
Davao killings (2013–2016): 19 victims across nine incidents during Duterte’s time as mayor. Prosecutors say he ordered, induced, or abetted the killings.
High-value targets (2016–2017): 14 individuals killed in operations nationwide early in his presidency. Victims were ranked by “value” on the former president’s list.
Barangay clearance operations (2016–2018): 45 victims (43 killed, two wounded) across up to 49 incidents, linked to community-level anti-drug sweeps.
Behind these charges is a larger claim: Duterte and his co-perpetrators built a “national network” of police, drug enforcers, prison staff and hired assassins to carry out executions under a common plan. A covert reward system, prosecutors alleged, paid law enforcers P50,000 to P1 million per kill, depending on the victim’s tier.
The ICC underscored that the 78 named victims represent only a fraction of a wider pattern of killings.
THE SUPPORTERS’ VIEW. In Cebu, Duterte’s Rider Group voiced its continuing support. “We’re still hoping for his interim release,” Deiparine said.
It’s not an isolated stance. Across parts of the Philippines, Duterte retains a base convinced his war on drugs was necessary and effective, and that the ICC case is politically motivated. To them, international courts are meddling in domestic affairs.
This reveals the split: international prosecutors painting Duterte as a mastermind of crimes against humanity, while his followers hold him as a strong leader unfairly pursued.
WHY THE ICC MOVED. The ICC can only step in when domestic justice systems are “unable or unwilling” to act. Philippine courts have not seriously prosecuted drug war killings, despite thousands of deaths since 2016.
That gap — between massive death tolls and thin accountability at home — gave the ICC grounds to assert jurisdiction. The Rome Statute, its founding treaty, explicitly allows charges against sitting or former heads of state.
THE DEFENSE STRATEGY. Duterte’s lawyers argued he is “not fit to stand trial,” leading to the postponement of the confirmation hearing. For now, proceedings are stalled. The ICC has not announced when hearings will resume, or how it will handle Duterte’s health claims.
WHAT WE DON’T KNOW YET. Three big unknowns linger:
Trial timeline. ICC cases stretch for years, even decades. With hearings already delayed, it’s unclear when full trial could begin.
Detention status. Can Duterte secure interim release? The ICC has allowed it for some accused, but only under tight conditions and rarely in crimes-against-humanity cases.
State cooperation. Will Philippine authorities cooperate with ICC processes, or resist by shielding their former president? That decision has both legal and political consequences.
THE POLITICAL ANGLE. Duterte’s influence lingers in local and national politics. Allies hold positions of power and his family remains active in local and national office. The ICC case could fracture coalitions, revive opposition momentum, or, conversely, energize Duterte loyalists.
In Cebu, where Duterte historically drew strong backing, the rider group’s statement is both a loyalty pledge and political signal: their leader may be detained, but their movement continues.
WHAT’S NEXT. The ICC rarely drops charges once filed. Even if Duterte delays proceedings on health grounds, the indictment remains. Arrest warrants don’t expire and political shifts — even years later — can suddenly change his fate. Meanwhile, interim release petitions, courtroom hearings and street-level rallies will shape the narrative. The trial’s timeline may be uncertain, but its political and emotional weight is already heavy, at home and abroad. / TPM, EHP