ICC vows justice amid concerns of victims of Duterte’s drug war

The Hague, Netherlands - The International Criminal Court (ICC) said confirmation hearings for former President Rodrigo Duterte’s case will proceed, but no date has been set yet.

This comes as families of drug war victims express frustration over repeated delays, fearing that justice is slipping further away. Duterte is accused of crimes against humanity for thousands of deaths linked to his administration’s war on drugs.

In an exclusive interview with NewsWatch Plus, ICC spokesperson Fadi El Abdallah stressed that the proceedings will be guided by judicial independence.

“The judges are independent and impartial. They will only deliver justice, and they don’t take any political considerations,” El Abdallah said.

ICC Assistant to Counsel Kristina Conti also explained on X that the confirmation hearing is a crucial stage of the process.

“Sa confirmation hearing sana, pwede i-contest ng defense ang charges. Pakikinggan din ang mga biktima. Saka pa lang pwede i-confirm o hindi ng judges ang charges. Kumbaga, hindi pa po ito yung final na kaso laban kay Duterte,” she said.

(At the confirmation hearing, the defense can contest the charges and the victims will also be heard. Only then can judges decide whether to confirm the charges. In other words, this is not yet the final case against Duterte.)

Duterte faces three counts of murder as a crime against humanity, covering 49 specific incidents. Conti explained this appears to be a strategy by prosecutors to strengthen the chances of conviction.

“Mukhang strategy ito ng prosecution para mas sigurado ang conviction. Para malinaw—hindi naman ibig sabihin na mas mahina ang kaso kung mas marami ang biktima,” she added.

(It seems to be a prosecution strategy to secure a stronger conviction. To be clear, it doesn’t mean the case is weaker just because there are more victims.)

She further argued that Duterte should remain at the ICC detention facility.

“Mas maraming klase ng krimen ang ginawa ni Duterte. Dapat pa rin siyang manatili sa ICC detention facility dahil banta siya sa seguridad ng mas nakararami,” Conti said.

(Duterte committed multiple types of crimes. He should remain in ICC detention because he poses a threat to the broader public.)

Victims’ relatives, however, remain anxious.

Despite the uncertainty on the schedule, the ICC reiterated its commitment to accountability under international law.