Leila De Lima Praises ICC Charges Against Rodrigo Duterte as Landmark for Justice

Former Senator Leila de Lima has hailed the International Criminal Court’s decision to formally charge former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte with “crimes against humanity.” On her Facebook post, she describes ICC action as “a milestone in the process of exacting accountability for the crimes committed.” The ICC accuses Duterte of being an “indirect co-perpetrator” in the deadly war on drugs that left thousands dead, a case long pushed by human rights advocates.

“I welcome the charges filed by the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court against former President Duterte for the crime against humanity of murder. This serves as a milestone in the process of exacting accountability for the crimes committed in Davao City by the DDS and during the drug war all over the Philippines by the so-called “national network” of death squads, both created and organized by Mayor, then President Duterte,” De Lima wrote.  

De Lima has been a long-time critic of Duterte and his drug war. Her feud with the former president has clashed for years, especially after her 2017 arrest on drug charges, which she has always denied. Many saw her detention as punishment for criticizing Duterte’s drug war, making her latest reaction part of their ongoing feud.

De Lima’s feud with Duterte also centers on the New Bilibid Prison drug trafficking scandal. Back in 2016, Duterte accused her of receiving drug money through her driver, Ronnie Dayan, allegedly to fund her senatorial campaign, one of the accusations she denied.