More drug war victims’ kin want to join Duterte trial

Photos courtesy of the International Criminal Court show former president Rodrigo Duterte during his first in-person appearance before the tribunal since his arrest in March 2025.

Photos / ICC | via Janvic Mateo

MANILA, Philippines — Almost 100 relatives of drug war victims have applied to participate in the ongoing crimes against humanity trial of former president Rodrigo Duterte before the International Criminal Court (ICC).

According to the ICC Registry, it received an additional 46 applications comprising 96 individuals classified under “Group A” or those who “clearly qualify” as victims in the case.

Their applications were formally transmitted to the ICC Trial Chamber III on Oct. 28.

Marked as confidential, details of the applications were not released to the public.

Earlier, the Pre-Trial Chamber I authorized 539 individual applicants to participate in the proceedings.

Authorized victims are not necessarily witnesses for the prosecution, which is in charge of presenting evidence to prove that the alleged crimes were committed by the respondents.

Instead, the authorized victims are allowed by the ICC to participate and present their views during the proceedings through their common legal representatives.

They may also be granted reparations if an accused is found guilty by the court.

The ICC earlier adopted an “A-B-C Approach” in the victim admission process for the proceedings.

Those classified as Group B are the ones who “clearly do not qualify” as victims, while Group C is for those “whom the Registry could not make a clear determination for any reason.”

It remains unclear if there were additional applicants under Group C. 

In addition to victims during the Duterte administration’s drug war, the judges earlier ruled that victims of murder or attempted murder in the Davao area from Nov. 1, 2011 to June 30, 2016 also fall within the scope of the Duterte case.

The case against the former president includes killings in relation to activities of the so-called Davao death squad, along with the broader war on drugs until 2019, when the Philippines officially withdrew from the international tribunal.

Duterte’s trial will begin on Nov. 30 in The Hague, where he has been detained since his arrest in March 2025.