“I Killed Dealers,” Duterte’s Words Return as ICC Opens Historic Case
“My job is to kill” – these chilling words from Rodrigo Duterte now take center stage in a landmark International Criminal Court investigation. The Philippines saw up to 30,000 deaths during his presidency from 2016 to 2022, as human rights groups documented his controversial “war on drugs.” Police reports officially acknowledge 6,200 suspects died in anti-drug operations, though experts believe the actual numbers are substantially higher.
The ICC has charged the former president with crimes against humanity. The charges stem from his alleged involvement in the murder of at least 43 people between 2011 and 2019. This groundbreaking case could make Duterte the first Asian former head of state to face an ICC trial. The investigation started in 2021 and looks into alleged crimes throughout his roles as Davao City’s mayor and later as president. Evidence points to a pattern of state-sanctioned killings that mainly targeted young, poor men in urban areas.
How Duterte’s Words Shaped Philippines’ Bloodiest Era
“Hitler massacred 3 million Jews … there’s 3 million drug addicts. There are. I’d be happy to slaughter them.” — Rodrigo Duterte, Former President of the Philippines
The Philippines plunged into systemic violence after Rodrigo Duterte’s inflammatory campaign rhetoric in 2016. His words at a campaign rally on March 15, 2016, set the tone: “When I become president, I will order the police to find those people [dealing or using drugs] and kill them. The funeral parlors will be packed”.
From Campaign Promises to Deadly Reality
Duterte painted drug dealing as a major roadblock to the Philippines’ economic progress before taking office. His rhetoric grew even darker on June 4: “If you are still into drugs, I am going to kill you. Don’t take this as a joke. I’m not trying to make you laugh. Sons of bitches, I’ll really kill you”.
Duterte’s words became deadly actions after his inauguration. He pushed citizens to “go ahead and kill” drug addicts. The police received his “official and personal guarantee” that they wouldn’t face prosecution for deaths during their operations.
Police officers reportedly received rewards between AED 550.79 to AED 1101.58 for each drug suspect they killed. Amnesty International saw this as an “incentive to kill” system.
Key Statements That Built ICC’s Case
The ICC investigation drew heavily from Duterte’s public statements. His message to drug dealers on August 6 was clear: “My order is shoot to kill you. I don’t care about human rights, you better believe me”. He promised to protect police officers who killed suspects: “Do your duty, and if in the process you kill one thousand persons because you were doing your duty, I will protect you”.
Duterte’s language stripped drug users of their humanity. He made a shocking Hitler comparison in September 2016: “Hitler massacred 3 million Jews [sic]. Now there is 3 million drug addicts there are. I’d be happy to slaughter them”.
His threats reached beyond drug suspects. Human rights activists who opposed his anti-drug campaign found themselves on potential target lists. Lawyers representing drug suspects faced similar threats by December.
Police officers took these presidential directives at face value. Human Rights Watch’s research showed officers executed unarmed suspects regularly and planted evidence like drugs and weapons on their victims’ bodies to justify the killings. These killings started in Metro Manila’s poorest areas and spread to other cities like Cebu.
ICC Prosecutors Map Path from Mayor to President
The International Criminal Court looks at Rodrigo Duterte’s alleged trail of violence from his days as Davao City mayor through his presidency. ICC’s warrant accuses him of crimes against humanity that led to dozens of murders.
Davao Death Squad Connection
Duterte made a shocking admission at a Senate inquiry about keeping a “death squad” of seven gangsters during his time as Davao’s mayor. The Davao Death Squad (DDS) killed between 1,020 and 1,040 people from 1998 to 2008. A self-confessed DDS leader, Arturo Lascañas, revealed he killed about 200 people under Duterte’s direct orders.
National Police Force Transformation
Duterte’s nationwide approach reshaped the scene when he became president. ICC investigators studied alleged crimes from November 2011 to March 16, 2019. His administration’s police operations matched the patterns seen in Davao. Police officers received between PHP5,000 and PHP50,000 for each killing. Assassins on unlicensed motorcycles carried out these killings in public areas.
Evidence Trail Spans Two Decades
ICC built its case on extensive documentation. Human Rights Watch found death squads responsible for 700 to 720 executions between 2005 and 2008. Lawyer Jude Sabio submitted a 77-page document to ICC titled “The Situation of Mass Murder in the Philippines” in April 2017. ICC kept its jurisdiction even after Sabio retracted his statement.
Former DDS members’ testimony strengthened the investigation. Edgar Matobato, who confessed to being a hitman, gave detailed accounts of Duterte’s ordered killings. ICC’s pre-trial chamber studied materials from the Philippine government and victims’ families. They concluded that domestic authorities failed to conduct genuine investigations into these crimes.
Global Courts Target Former Leaders
The International Criminal Court made history by pursuing Rodrigo Duterte. He became the first Asian ex-leader to face trial at The Hague. This case shows how the ICC continues to expand its reach when prosecuting former heads of state for crimes against humanity.
Precedent-Setting Cases
Several prominent leaders have faced ICC indictment across different regions. Sudan’s Omar al-Bashir received charges in 2009 for genocide and crimes against humanity in Darfur. The court also issued warrants for Libya’s Muammar Gaddafi and his son Saif al-Islam in 2011 because they systematically attacked civilians. The ICC sought warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas leaders for alleged war crimes in 2024.
The court’s authority includes genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and aggression. Countries that withdraw from the Rome Statute, like Russia did in 2016, remain under ICC authority for crimes during their membership. This rule allowed the court to pursue Vladimir Putin for alleged child abductions in Ukraine.
Why Asian Leaders Avoided ICC Until Now
Only 17 member states represent Asia-Pacific in the Rome Statute system. Major regional powers like China, India, and Indonesia refuse to join. They worry about their state’s sovereignty and non-interference principles. These nations claim mass atrocities within their borders seem unlikely, so ICC membership becomes less important.
In spite of that, international justice has progressed in the region. Japan leads the Rome Statute system and Cambodia’s ICC membership shows growing acceptance. The court pursues Myanmar’s military leader Min Aung Hlaing for crimes against humanity against the Rohingya. Combined with Duterte’s case, this signals better accountability in Southeast Asia.
Member states’ cooperation determines the ICC’s success. The Philippines arrested its former president even after leaving the ICC in 2019. This unprecedented action shows a fundamental change in how the region views international justice and accountability for human rights violations.
Legal Experts Analyze ICC’s Strategy
“Do the lives of 10 of these criminals really matter? If I am the one facing all this grief, would 100 lives of these idiots mean anything to me?” — Rodrigo Duterte, Former President of the Philippines
Legal experts perusing the International Criminal Court’s strategy against Rodrigo Duterte show a groundbreaking approach to building evidence through public declarations. The ICC’s case heavily relies on the former president’s own statements. This marks a fundamental change in international prosecution methods.
Building Case Through Public Statements
The ICC prosecutor’s office built its case using Duterte’s public admissions. Duterte declared full responsibility for drug war actions at a House quad committee hearing in November 2024. He challenged the ICC to “hurry up and come here”. His statement made the investigation more urgent. Former Senator Antonio Trillanes backed the prosecution by submitting Senate and House hearing transcripts. These documents showed Duterte’s admission of ordering a death squad in Davao City.
Why Words Matter More Than Numbers
The prosecution team focuses on direct admissions instead of statistical evidence alone. Official police statistics report 6,000 deaths in the drug war. Human rights groups estimate the actual toll at 30,000. The prosecutors highlight Duterte’s explicit statements accepting responsibility for the killings rather than debating these numbers.
Prosecution’s Timeline Revealed
The ICC’s step-by-step approach became clear through several developments. The Pre-Trial Chamber authorized an investigation into crimes from November 2011 to March 2019 in September 2021. The probe paused due to Philippine government’s claims of domestic investigation. It resumed in 2023 after the court found these efforts inadequate.
Trillanes’s submission of vital hearing transcripts boosted the investigation in October 2024. The ICC launched a dedicated witness appeal microsite to gather more evidence in November. The process ended in February 2025 when the prosecutor submitted an urgent application for an arrest warrant under Article 58.
The ICC’s dependence on member states to implement arrests worked well. The court’s strategy showed that jurisdiction remains over crimes committed during membership, even after a country leaves the Rome Statute. The court issued an arrest warrant on March 7, 2025, charging Duterte with murder as a crime against humanity.
Rodrigo Duterte’s public declarations about killing drug suspects serve as the strongest evidence against him in this landmark ICC case. His presidency saw thousands of documented deaths that created an unprecedented evidence trail. The ICC’s focus on these statements shows a radical alteration in how international prosecutions work.
This case against Duterte marks a crucial turning point for global justice, particularly in Asia-Pacific. A successful prosecution would set a powerful example for holding former heads of state accountable, even though many regional powers stay outside ICC’s reach.
Legal scholars highlight the ICC’s systematic approach that builds evidence through public admissions instead of just statistical data. Their strategy worked well as the case moved from its original authorization in 2021 to arrest warrant issuance in 2025. The court managed to keep its authority over crimes committed during membership, despite the Philippines’ withdrawal from the Rome Statute.
The prosecution of a former Asian head of state proves that geographic limits no longer restrict accountability for crimes against humanity. Duterte’s case could alter the map of how future international tribunals collect evidence and prosecute former world leaders.
