Jonathan Frederic De Santos

Families of drug war victims watch a stream of the International Criminal Court pre-trial hearing at a gathering in Quezon City on March 15, 2025. Izzy Lee, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

Bea Cuadra

ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA — The International Criminal Court (ICC) Registry received more than 300 applications of people who wanted to be recognized as victims of former President Rodrigo Duterte&#x27;s war on drugs, it said in a report on the process to let victims participate in proceedings.</p><p>This, it said, was a &quot;limited number&quot; against the number of victims who wanted to participate.</p><p>The confirmation of charges hearing on Duterte&#x27;s case is provisionally scheduled to begin on September 23.</p><p>The Registry said the Victims Participation and Reparations Section (VPRS) has been working to inform and assist victims, particularly those who were previously involved in earlier court proceedings.</p><p>The VPRS reached out to networks and groups that assisted victims in the past, ensuring a transparent and inclusive process. </p><p>They provided application forms in Tagalog, Cebuano, English, and French and held meetings to inform potential applicants of their rights and the process.</p><p>“Against this background, the VPRS received 303 application forms— a limited figure compared to the number of war on drugs victims who wish to participate in the case,” the report said.</p><p>The government has acknowledged the deaths of more than 7,000 &quot;drug personalities&quot; in the anti-drug campaign. Authorities claimed they had all violently resisted arrest and were killed.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/8/23/icc-moves-forward-with-duterte-case-as-victim-applications-are-submitted-0806"><strong>ICC moves forward with Duterte case as victim applications are submitted<br/></strong></a></div><p>The report also said that the victims &quot;are deeply committed to the pursuit of justice&quot; and do want to contribute to the proceedings.</p><p>&quot;However, this willingness is predicated on the understanding that their efforts will not be in vain.&quot;</p><p>Victims and their relatives had gone to the ICC, which is meant to be a court of last resort, because of their belief that domestic processes had failed to bring them justice.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>VERIFICATION OF APPLICANTS&#x27; IDENTITIES</strong></div><p>The Registry said it made a preliminary assessment of the submissions to ensure each applicant&#x27;s identity, to verify the harm they suffered, and to check that this was related to the crime against humanity of murder case against Duterte. </p><p>It said identities were established through documents like voter&#x27;s ID, barangay IDs and certified affidavits, which the VPRS said &quot;are sufficiently close in format and scope to the documents previously approved by the Chamber&quot; and should be accepted.</p><p>It acknowledged &quot;minor discrepancies&quot; in some identification cards like misspellings and errors in ages and dates of birth, where &quot;the VPRS applied a degree of flexibility and considered that the discrepancies present in these applications do not call into question the overall credibility of the information provided by the applicant.”</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/6/25/icc-s-principal-counsel-for-victims-opposes-duterte-s-interim-release-plea-2227"><strong>ICC’s principal counsel for victims opposes Duterte’s interim release plea<br/></strong></a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>VICTIMS RECOUNT TRAUMA</strong></div><p>To ensure the experiences of all applicants are heard, the report included a small selection of quotes from applications that were not part of the initial sample submitted to the Chamber. </p><p>One individual&#x27;s application shared the pain of loss and the lingering search for justice: &quot;To this day, the pain has not faded. The wounds of losing [my son] are reopened with every memory of his passing.&quot;</p><p>Another applicant recounted their struggle with fear and trauma. </p><p>&quot;Whenever I see a patrol car, I get afraid because I would imagine the bodies of my sons thrown into a patrol car that day. Whenever I see a police officer, I would be enraged.&quot;</p><p>One applicant, who had previously supported the former president, expressed their disillusionment after their son was killed. </p><p>&quot;After what happened to my son, the killings [in our area] continued until 2020. There were many more. Many more victims wish to come forward, however, some are no longer part of the coverage. I am alone in the world, I feel like I can never move on.&quot;</p><p>The report also highlighted the fear of police retaliation, which has prevented some families from seeking justice, with one applicant saying  &quot;my family has lived in fear, choosing silence over legal action.&quot;</p><p>The Registry stated its readiness to submit all remaining applications to the Chamber, pending a decision on the initial sample.</p>

<p>The International Criminal Court (ICC) Registry received more than 300 applications of people who wanted to be recognized as victims of former President Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs, it said in a report on the process to let victims participate in proceedings.</p>

The International Criminal Court (ICC) Registry received more than 300 applications of people who wanted to be recognized as victims of former President Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs, it said in a report on the process to let victims participate in proceedings.

More than 300 apply to participate in Duterte ICC case as drug war victims

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More than 300 apply to participate in Duterte ICC case as drug war victims

Bea Cuadra,

ABS-CBN News

Published August 23, 2025 10:01 AM PHT

Read More:

War on Drugs

International Criminal Court

Rodrigo Duterte

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