Former Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte was arrested ​and taken to The Hague last March. Photograph: AP/Vernon YuenFormer Philippines president Rodrigo ‌Duterte was “pivotal” in the murder of thousands of people during his reign, prosecutors at the International Criminal Court (ICC) said on ‌Monday, as they pushed for his trial to go ahead. Duterte served as president of ​the Philippines from 2016 to 2022 and was arrested ​and taken to The Hague last March. According to the prosecutors, Duterte created, funded and armed death ‌squads to target and kill alleged ​narcotics peddlers and users. “For us, it’s cowardice,” said Sheerah Escudero, whose brother was killed during the war on drugs.

Source: The Irish Times February 24, 2026 15:27 UTC