Joselito Malig

Article (news)

Zen Hernandez

Katrina Domingo

ABS-CBN News

MANILA — Lawyers representing victims of the Philippine drug war at the International Criminal Court (ICC) said the arrest and turnover of former President Rodrigo Duterte to the court a year ago marked a significant step toward accountability and justice for families who lost loved ones during the anti-drug campaign.In a statement marking the first anniversary of Duterte’s transfer to the ICC, Philippine-based victims’ legal representatives Atty. Joel Butuyan and Atty. Gilbert Andres described the development as a milestone for international justice and the rule of law.“The arrest and surrender to the International Criminal Court (ICC) of Mr. Rodrigo Duterte one year ago is a victory for international criminal justice, accountability, and the rule of law,” the lawyers said in a joint statement issued March 13.They noted that despite thousands of killings linked to the government’s anti-drug campaign, Duterte had not been the subject of a criminal investigation in the Philippines for crimes against humanity, which is punishable under the country’s domestic law.“Though thousands of victims were being murdered in his anti-drug campaign, the truth is Mr. Duterte has not been the subject of any criminal investigation in the Philippines for ‘crimes against humanity’, despite this being a crime under Philippine domestic law penalized under Section 6 of RA 9851 or the Philippine IHL Act. This is the reason why the ICC had to step-in to prevent impunity for an international crime,” they said.For the families of victims, the lawyers said the former president’s transfer to the ICC represented the first concrete step toward uncovering the truth behind the killings linked to the drug war.“Mr. Duterte’s arrest under an ICC arrest warrant and his surrender to the ICC have firm legal basis under Section 17 of RA 9851. The suffering victims of Mr. Duterte’s anti-drug campaign see his surrender to the ICC, a year ago, as their first step towards justice and truth for their murdered loved ones. Mr. Duterte’s surrender to the ICC is a reminder that even a powerful person such as a former president is subject to accountability and that no one is above the law,” the two lawyers said.While the lawyers underscored that Duterte continues to enjoy the presumption of innocence and the right to a fair trial under international law, they contrasted this with the fate of victims of the anti-drug campaign.“And while Mr. Duterte enjoys the presumption of innocence and is afforded his right to a fair trial under international law, our clients’ loved ones were summarily sentenced to death without the benefit of trial. While the families of Mr. Duterte can visit him and hug him, our clients can only touch the cold graves of their murdered loved ones. Thus, the victims pray that the Filipino people respect and join the victims’ quest for truth and justice for their murdered loved ones,” they said.Meantime, the redacted copy of the Butuyan and Andres’ response to the Defense panel’s request to have them disqualified from proceedings have been published on the ICC website on March 12, about 2 weeks after the victims’ counsels filed the unredacted version before the international tribunal.“The Defense continues to create legal standards for conflict of interest and fairness not found in the Court’s jurisprudence nor applicable to this matter before the Chamber,” the victims’ counsels’ redacted submission read.“For example, the Defence offers no jurisprudence as citation support for its bold assertion that there is a “fundamental requirement that proceedings be – and appear to be – fair,” it read.“The alleged issue does not significantly impede the fairness of proceedings nor their expeditiousness.”The ICC’s Pre-Trial Chamber I rejected the Defense’s petition to disqualify Butuyan, Andres and their case manager Nicolene Arcaina February 20, 2026.

Lawyers representing victims of the Philippine drug war at the International Criminal Court (ICC) said the arrest and turnover of former President Rodrigo Duterte to the court a year ago marked a significant step toward accountability and justice for families who lost loved ones.

Lawyers representing victims of the Philippine drug war at the International Criminal Court (ICC) said the arrest and turnover of former President Rodrigo Duterte to the court a year ago marked a significant step toward accountability and justice for families who lost loved ones.

Victims' lawyers say Duterte's ICC arrest marked 'first step toward justice'

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Victims' lawyers say Duterte's ICC arrest marked 'first step toward justice'

Zen Hernandez,

Katrina Domingo,

ABS-CBN News

Published March 13, 2026 05:49 PM PHT

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Updated March 13, 2026 06:34 PM PHT

Read More:

Rodrigo Duterte

ICC

Pre-Trial Chamber

confirmation of charges

Appeals Chamber

drug war

crimes against humanity

tokhang

EJK

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