Global Dispatches -- World News That Matters The Case Against Rodrigo Duterte at the International Criminal Court
Mar 26, 2026
Diane Desierto, Notre Dame law and global affairs professor who advised on Philippines ICC matters, unpacks the case against Rodrigo Duterte. She outlines the specific charges and the role of public admissions and command responsibility. She discusses extradition, fitness to stand trial, and what a full ICC trial might look like. The conversation also touches on potential insider witnesses and victims' avenues for redress.
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Davao Death Squads Evolved Into National Repression Tool
- The Davao death squads began as a local governance tool to pressure opponents and enforce law, then scaled nationally under Duterte's presidency.
- Targets included journalists, judges, law enforcers, and unarmed civilians, undermining effective opposition.
Police Quotas And Oplan Tokhang Facilitated Killings
- Duterte incentivized police quotas and normalized operations like Oplan Tokhang that enabled door-to-door killings.
- High-profile cases like Kian delos Santos, captured on CCTV, illustrated impunity and silenced opposition.
Extradition Followed Interpol Red Notice And Pretrial Rulings
- The ICC moved after an arrest warrant and Interpol Red Notice, and the Philippines cooperated by extraditing Duterte to The Hague.
- Pretrial challenges on jurisdiction and fitness were rejected and the pretrial chamber must decide within 60 days whether to order a full trial.