Several Philippine families filed a complaint (PDF [9]) with the International Criminal Court [10] (ICC) Aug. 28, accusing President Rodrigo Duterte of murder during his "war on drugs." The complaint charges [11] Duterte with "crimes against humanity," including extrajudicial killings. This is the second complaint against Duterte filed with the ICC; the first was filed in April 2017. The ICC began preliminary examination in the case in February. Duterte announced the Philippines' withdrawal from the ICC in March. In a 15-page letter [12] to the media, Duterte declared [13] that the Philippines will immediately withdraw its ratification of the Rome Statute [14], which established the ICC and was ratified by the Philippines in late 2011. Under the statute, a member can withdraw no sooner than one year following written notification to the UN Secretary-General. However, Duterte claimed that the agreement was immediately voidable because it was signed fraudulently.
From Jurist [15], Aug. 31. Used with permission.
