Former Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte personally drew up “death lists” and boasted about murders committed during his “war on drugs”, an International Criminal Court prosecutor alleged Tuesday at a crimes against humanity hearing.
On day two of proceedings against Duterte, ICC prosecutor Edward Jeremy laid out searing testimony including allegations that children had their heads wrapped in packing tape and were strangled to death.
“As president, Duterte publicly named persons he alleged were involved in drugs, and many of those would end up as victims in his so-called war on drugs,” Jeremy said.
The “Duterte list” was “basically a death list”, Jeremy cited a witness as saying, showing a video of Duterte himself saying: “I am the sole person responsible for it all.”
Duterte faces three ICC counts of crimes against humanity, with prosecutors alleging his involvement in at least 76 murders between 2013 and 2018.
Prosecutors say this is a “mere fraction” of the thousands believed killed in his “war on drugs” as mayor of Davao City and then president.
“As witnesses stated, the poor were often targeted, because they were the ones least likely to file complaints against the police,” said Jeremy.
– ‘The bodies pile up’ –
Jeremy played a clip of Duterte joking about “extrajudicial killings” during a speech.
“And in this opulent, gilded, presentation room, the officials laugh along with their president while he boasts about his skills in extrajudicial killing,” said Jeremy.
“And outside on the streets of the Philippines, the bodies pile up.”
Jeremy alleged that almost 1,500 people had already been killed at the time of this video.
The prosecutor said that on two occasions, children aged around 14 or 15 were taken into custody.
“On each occasion, the police wrapped the child’s head in packing tape. So no one could hear them scream. And then strangled the child to death with wire,” said Jeremy.
“It’s difficult to imagine a more terrifying end to two lives that had barely even begun. And these murdered children were then sold to funeral homes.”
The week-long ICC proceedings are not a trial but a “confirmation of charges” hearing, enabling judges to weigh whether to move ahead with a trial.
Another prosecutor, Robynne Croft, described the alleged crimes as a “widespread and systematic attack” on the people of the Philippines.
The killings were “highly organised, planned and coordinated” and without Duterte’s “essential contribution”, would not have occurred, Croft alleged.
Duterte, 80, is not in court after exercising his right not to appear.
His defence team says he is weak and in cognitive decline. The prosecution and victims counter that he is healthy but does not want to face the loved-ones of victims.
The court passed him fit to attend but granted his right to stay away.
Once the hearings wrap up Friday, the court will take up to 60 days to decide whether to proceed to a full trial, usually in a written judgement.
Duterte’s defence lawyer, Nicholas Kaufman, on Monday said his client “maintained his innocence absolutely”.
Kaufman argued that while Duterte used “bluster and hyperbole” in his speeches, he also frequently ordered authorities only to shoot in self-defence.
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