On the 27th of this month, the International Criminal Court (ICC) concluded hearings to determine whether to proceed with a trial against former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who is accused of crimes against humanity, specifically murder. The prosecution claimed that Duterte had ordered the killings of civilians and urged the court to formally open a trial. In contrast, the defense rebuffed these claims and requested that Duterte be allowed to return to his home country. The ICC is set to make a decision within 60 days regarding the initiation of a trial.

The prosecution reiterated that Duterte was instrumental in the aggressive crackdown on illegal drugs during his tenure as Mayor of Davao and as President from 2011 to 2019, alleging his involvement in 78 instances of murder or attempted murder that stemmed from this campaign. During the hearings, the prosecutors highlighted Duterte's remarks made shortly before his arrest last year, where he implied a lack of denial regarding his involvement in civilian deaths, suggesting that his actions were instigated for the sake of the nation—stating that he had publically declared a campaign that resulted in thousands of deaths over a span of more than 20 years.

Conversely, the defense argued that there is no direct evidence linking Duterte to the alleged fatalities posited by the prosecution. They urged the ICC to dismiss the charges made against him. The hearings commenced on the 23rd and, notably, Duterte did not attend the proceedings due to reported health reasons, while government figures estimate that over 6,000 individuals have died as a result of his drug war initiatives.