The Hague: The International Criminal Court began pre-trial hearings on Monday for former
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who is facing three counts of crimes against humanity for deadly anti-drugs crackdowns he oversaw while in office.
Duterte, 80, was not in The Hague courtroom, having waived his right to appear as prosecutors began presenting evidence to support their charges of his alleged involvement in dozens of killings as part of his so-called war on drugs.
The charges date from Duterte’s time as mayor of the southern Philippine city of Davao and later as president, and include dozens of killings as part of his so-called war on drugs.
Duterte has described the charges against him an “outrageous lie”.
The Hague hearing is not a trial, but allows prosecutors to outline their case in court. After weighing the evidence, judges have 60 days to decide whether or not to confirm the charges.