Former Philippine President Charged with Involvement in Assassination

Charges of crimes against humanity against former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte allege his involvement in the murder of at least 76 people while he was head of state and previously mayor of Davao.

The redacted charges were made public on Monday after prosecutors filed a 15-page indictment in court on July 4.

Among other matters, they allege that Duterte instructed and authorized “violent acts, including murder, against alleged criminals, including alleged drug traffickers and users.”

The first charge cites 19 deaths while Duterte was mayor of Davao City between 2013 and 2016. The second involves 14 people who died in targeted killings between 2016 and 2017, when Duterte was President of the Philippines, and the third refers to the killings of 43 people during so-called "cleansing operations" between 2016 and 2018.

Duterte, his lawyer and family have not yet responded to the accusations.

Even when he was president, he denied authorizing extrajudicial executions, although he threatened to kill drug trafficking suspects and encouraged police to open fire if suspects violently resisted arrest and threatened authorities.

Duterte was arrested in March by Philippine authorities on a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC). He is currently being held at an ICC facility in the Netherlands.

Duterte's supporters criticized the government of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., a political rival of the former head of state, for arresting and handing over the former leader to a court whose jurisdiction his supporters dispute.

The court hearing scheduled for Tuesday was postponed to give judges time to consider arguments from Duterte's lawyers, who argue that their client is fit to stand trial.