Duterte ICC trial to start on 30 November: What you need to know

A significant story is unfolding on the international scene. Duterte ICC trial to start on 30 November: What you need to know2 hours ago Share Save Add as preferred on GoogleJoel Guinto ,Anna Holligan ,The HagueandVirma Simonette Rivera ,ManilaGetty ImagesThe International Criminal Court has scheduled the start of former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's trial for alleged crimes against humanity on 30 November. The 81-year-old, who led the Philippines from 2016 to 2022, is the first Asian former head of state to be indicted by the ICC. He has been detained at the Hague since his arrest at Manila airport on 11 March 2025.

The charges include three counts of crimes against humanity in the forms of murder, torture, and rape during Duterte's bloody "war on drugs". The campaign, which Duterte waged as a city mayor and then throughout his six-year presidency, saw the extrajudicial killings of tens of thousands of alleged dealers, users and others, human rights groups say. ICC prosecutors previously alleged he was involved in at least 76 murders.

The Details

Those crimes were allegedly committed between 1 November 2011 and 16 March 2019. That included his time as mayor of Davao, a southern metropolis where he cultivated the image of a tough-talking political outsider. Duterte drew international condemnation over his war on drugs, but was unfazed, at one point saying he'd be "happy to slaughter" millions of "drug addicts" who he said were destroying the country.

"Decades of murdering his own people, murdering the children of the Philippines, and he claims that he did it all for his country. He doesn't deny it," ICC prosecutor Julian Nicholls said during a pre-trial hearing in February. Duterte has previously waived his right to be present in the courtroom, saying he did not recognise the ICC's authority.

He maintained his innocence, his lawyer said at the time. Who is Rodrigo Duterte? Duterte was elected president of the Philippines in 2016, having promised to eradicate street crime by cracking down on illegal drugs.

What Experts Say

He had built a reputation for being tough against crime as mayor of Davao, a sprawling southern metropolis, and said peace and order were necessary to spur investments. Despite his contentious legacy, his presidential campaign and strongman style proved hugely popular in a country with rampant drug issues. He frequently portrayed himself as a political outsider, and promised to champion the interest of Filipinos in the provinces who felt marginalised by Manila's elite.

Duterte is also notorious for his shocking rhetoric. He has been known to make sexist remarks, previously cursed at the late Pope Francis and former US president Barack Obama, and once compared himself to Hitler. He has remained staunchly unapologetic about his drug crackdown over the years, saying in a video filmed as he was being taken to The Hague: "What is the law and what is the crime that I committed?

"Despite being in jail at The Hague, he remains popular, especially in Davao where he won the 2025 mayoral race by a landslide.

The story has become one of the most prominent items on the global agenda.