Duterte, 80, is accused of crimes against humanity over an anti-drugs crackdowns in which thousands of people were killed in the South-east Asian nation
The pre-trial hearing for former Philippine leader Rodrigo Duterte for his alleged role in a deadly “drug war” is set to begin at the international criminal court on Monday, despite his refusal to attend the proceedings.
Duterte, 80, who was arrested in Manila and flown to The Hague last year, is accused of crimes against humanity over an anti-drugs crackdown in which thousands of people were killed.
The ICC will begin a pre-trial hearing to confirm the charges against him, even though Duterte announced last week that he would not appear, saying he is “old, tired and frail” and experiencing memory loss. He described claims he oversaw a policy of extra-judicial killing as “an outrageous lie”, and said he did not recognise the court’s jurisdiction.
Families of the victims, who have long waited for Duterte to face justice, have accused the former president of cowardice.
