The International Criminal Court is considering additional charges of rape and torture against former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte as it moves forward with a probe into alleged crimes against humanity during his bloody drug war, according to a lawyer representing victims.
ICC-accredited Filipino lawyer Gilbert Andres said in an interview that the court’s upcoming confirmation of charges hearing in September could expand the scope of accusations against Duterte.
“The confirmation of charges is the process wherein the prosecutor will actually define the boundaries of the charge against the suspect. So it’s still possible to include torture, still possible to include rape,” Andres said.
In February, the ICC prosecutor applied for an arrest warrant for Duterte, citing alleged crimes against humanity including murder, torture and rape.
Prosecutors believe there are “reasonable grounds” to consider Duterte an indirect co-perpetrator.
The arrest warrant application detailed 45 alleged murders, four cases of torture and three incidents of rape, which the ICC prosecutor said may qualify as crimes against humanity.
A 2019 report to the ICC prosecutor detailed incidents where law enforcement officers allegedly raped women with ties to suspected drug offenders, some of whom were later killed.
“Further, it has been reported that in at least a few incidents, members of law enforcement raped women who were apparently targeted because of their personal relationships to individuals alleged to have been involved in drug activities,” the report stated.
The U.S. State Department previously reported that 16 Filipino police officers were implicated in eight rape cases since 2017, during the height of Duterte’s anti-drug campaign.
The Center for Women’s Resources (CWR) documented 13 cases of abuse allegedly committed by police officers between January 2017 and July 2018, including eight rapes and three cases of lasciviousness involving 12 officers.
Beyond formally filed cases, reports of rape and sexual abuse of women in police custody have continued to surface in the Philippines.
Women’s rights group Gabriela has strongly condemned the sexual violence against women under Duterte’s administration, asserting that his rhetoric created an environment that enabled such abuse.
Duterte has faced repeated criticism for what women’s groups describe as misogynistic and rape-related remarks that have allegedly fostered a culture of violence and impunity.