Prosecutors at the International Criminal Court (ICC) reiterated that children were among the victims of the Philippines’ controversial war against illegal drugs under former President Rodrigo Duterte, as Trial Lawyer Edward Jeremy presented evidence during the confirmation of charges hearing on Tuesday, February 24.
“Children continued to be the victims of these killings,” Jeremy told the ICC chamber, underscoring testimony and materials showing minors were killed or gravely harmed in police operations tied to the campaign. Prosecutors highlighted instances in which Duterte publicly encouraged lethal force, including remarks suggesting individuals—even children—involved with drugs should be killed, footage of which was played before the court.
Evidence presented during the hearing showed that killings occurred not only among alleged “high-value targets” (HVT) and adults but also during barangay-level anti-drug operations, where children and the youth were vulnerable to violence. According to local and international reporting, several cases involved minors, including widely publicized deaths like that of 17-year-old Kian delos Santos in 2017, which sparked national outrage and brought global attention to the human cost of the campaign.
Prosecutors argue that the anti-drug strategy, formalized under the "Project Double Barrel" soon after Duterte’s inauguration, created incentives for lethal force through unofficial rewards and a climate of impunity. Jeremy cited witness statements that police frequently used the term nanlaban (“fought back”) in reports to justify deadly encounters, with many victims later found to be unarmed or misrepresented in official accounts—a pattern experts say included children among its casualties.
Human rights groups and international observers have long documented that the so-called war on drugs resulted in thousands of deaths, with independent estimates suggesting the toll may be far higher than official figures. Many of those killed were poor, and some deaths involved minors either directly or as collateral victims in violent operations.
The ICC hearing will determine whether the evidence is sufficient to advance to a full trial — a process that could critically examine not only Duterte’s role in orchestrating the drug war but also its impact on children and other vulnerable civilians.
