THE HAGUE — Vice President Sara Duterte has cast doubt on the oft-reported figure of 30,000 deaths linked to her father’s controversial anti-drug campaign, calling for proof during her visit to the Netherlands amid ongoing International Criminal Court (ICC) proceedings.
Speaking at a gathering outside the Hague Penitentiary Institution to mark former President Rodrigo Duterte’s 80th birthday, the Vice President pointed to the 181 pieces of evidence presented by prosecutors as insufficient to back the scale of killings often reported in the media.
“For years, the media has repeated this claim of 30,000 drug war deaths. But here we are at the ICC, and we only see 181 pieces of evidence,” Duterte said. “So where’s the proof for 30,000 deaths?”
Official police data shows around 6,000 people were killed in anti-drug operations, while human rights groups say the real figure—including vigilante killings—could be five times higher.
“This is not even a Philippine court case,” she said. “There isn’t even one formal case linked to these claims.”
VP Duterte also slammed the case as lacking in scope and evidence: “How do you prove systematic killings of 30,000 people without naming 30,000 victims? This case includes only 43 murder charges.”
Atty. Kristina Conti from the National Union of People’s Lawyers, representing victims’ families, countered that proving crimes against humanity doesn’t require listing every victim.
“Just like in the Holocaust and the Nuremberg trials, it’s not about naming every individual. One strong testimony can show a pattern of widespread and systematic attacks,” Conti said.
She explained that the 181 documents cited by Sara Duterte were preliminary and procedural, not the full body of evidence.
The ICC’s confirmation of charges is set for September 23. Conti stated that the prosecution is “trial-ready,” and the demand for names is a diversion from the real issue: “Is Duterte guilty of ordering these killings as mayor and later as president?”
ICC spokesperson Fadi El Abdallah clarified that the 43 cited incidents serve as a sample, and even a single murder may qualify as a crime against humanity if it’s part of a systematic attack on civilians.