The International Criminal Court (ICC) on Wednesday rejected a motion to dismiss a case against former president of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte.

Duterte was arraigned for his alleged role in the murder of dozens of people during his anti-drug campaign.

The defence had questioned the court’s jurisdiction in the case.

The judges ruled that the court in The Hague has the jurisdiction to conduct criminal proceedings, upholding an earlier decision.

Prosecutors accuse the 81-year-old of crimes against humanity in the state-led war on drugs, specifically murder and attempted murder in 78 cases.

The judges are assessing whether there is sufficient evidence to hold a trial. A decision is expected by the end of the month.

Duterte was president of the Philippines from 2016-2022. Human rights organisations estimate that his ruthless campaign against drug-related crime cost up to 30,000 lives. Suspects were often summarily executed without trial.

The former president was arrested in Manila in March 2025 on the basis of an ICC warrant and flown to the Netherlands.

He dismissed the charges as baseless. (dpa/NAN)