Overview

• Pretrial judges found Rodrigo Duterte likely to abscond and capable of influencing or threatening witnesses if released, pointing to his political network and influence in the Philippines.
• The ruling keeps the 80-year-old in the ICC detention unit in The Hague following his March 11 arrest in Manila and transfer to the Netherlands the same night.
• Prosecutors have filed three crimes-against-humanity counts alleging at least 76 murders tied to the anti-drug campaign, covering Davao City killings, high-value targets, and nationwide clearance operations from 2013 to 2018.
• Judges said defense medical filings alleging cognitive decline do not negate the risks that justify detention, noting that fitness to stand trial is a separate question still pending.
• Rights groups and families of victims welcomed the decision as a step toward accountability, with death toll estimates from the drug war ranging from more than 6,000 to as many as 30,000.