Crimes Against Humanity: What It Means in Duterte’s Case

Here’s a clear breakdown of what “crimes against humanity” mean — and how they apply in the case against Rodrigo Duterte at the International Criminal Court (ICC):

⚖️ Crimes Against Humanity: What It Means in Duterte’s Case

📘 Definition Under the Rome Statute

According to Article 7 of the Rome Statute (the ICC’s founding treaty), crimes against humanity are specific acts:

“Committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack directed against any civilian population, with knowledge of the attack.”

These acts include:

Murder

Extermination

Torture

Enforced disappearance

Imprisonment or severe deprivation of liberty

Other inhumane acts causing great suffering

🔍 Key Legal Elements

To qualify as crimes against humanity, acts must meet 3 main criteria:

Widespread or systematic – Not isolated incidents; must involve a large-scale or organized campaign.

Against civilians – Victims must be non-combatants.

Knowledge of the attack – The accused must know of or intend the broader campaign.

🩸 How This Applies to Duterte

The ICC believes there is reasonable basis to suspect that under Duterte’s leadership:

The “war on drugs” campaign led to thousands of extrajudicial killings, particularly from 2016 to 2019.

Many deaths were committed by police or unknown gunmen allegedly encouraged or protected by state forces.

Victims were mostly urban poor, targeted based on suspicion — often without evidence, warrants, or trials.

📌 Specific Allegations Include:

Murder as a crime against humanity: The core charge.

Duterte allegedly encouraged killings through public statements, orders, and by failing to investigate abuses.

The ICC is examining both his time as President and earlier as Mayor of Davao City, where a similar pattern of killings reportedly occurred.

⚖️ Why It’s Not “Just Domestic Law”

Crimes against humanity are considered international crimes — meaning they violate universal human values, regardless of where they occur.

They override domestic immunity or political justification.

The ICC only steps in if the local justice system is unwilling or unable to prosecute — which the court has concluded applies to the Philippines.

🧭 What’s Next in 2025

As of this year, Duterte is in ICC custody.

A confirmation of charges hearing is set for September 2025 — where ICC judges will decide whether the case proceeds to trial.

If convicted, Duterte could face a lengthy prison sentence in an international facility.

✅ Bottom Line

In Duterte’s case, “crimes against humanity” refers not to isolated acts, but to an alleged state-backed campaign of murder that was:

Widespread

Systematic

And done with intent or knowledge

These are serious international charges — not just political accusations.