Prosecutors at the International Criminal Court (ICC) have exposed a controversial Excel file that is allegedly the centerpiece of former President Rodrigo Duterte's anti-drug campaign. During the confirmation hearing of the indictments on February 24, the so-called “PRRD List” was presented, which contains the names of suspected drug personalities, organized by region and with five levels of ranking, where Level 5 is considered a “high value target.” According to the prosecution, this document served as the basis for the implementation of operations that resulted in the deaths of 14 people from 2016 to 2017.
According to ICC Senior Trial Lawyer Edward Jeremy, each tab in the spreadsheet has attached photos and details of the targets, including regions such as Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, and CALABARZON. From street-level pushers and local officials to alleged financiers and some high-ranking police and military officials, they were allegedly placed at different levels of the list. Jeremy himself called the document a “dead list,” and asserted that most of the names included in it ended up dead in police operations.
Part of the evidence is the alleged reward system that did not go through the regular budget of the Philippine National Police (PNP). According to the prosecution, the incentives ranged from ₱50,000 to ₱1 million, depending on the rank of the target, and were allegedly given personally by Duterte. In a speech on February 2, 2017, Duterte allegedly showed the list and called it the “drug industry of the Philippines,” which the ICC said was evidence of his open support for the campaign. The prosecution also asserted that the term “neutralize” in the Oplan Double Barrel memorandum was used as a code for murder.
Duterte is facing three counts of crimes against humanity, including killings linked to the Davao Death Squad, the targeting of high-value individuals, and barangay operations. The case covers at least 76 murders and two attempted murders, although this is not the total number of deaths in the drug war. The current hearing is only a pre-trial phase to determine whether there is enough evidence to proceed with the trial.
In the presentation, the prosecution emphasized Duterte's public statements as proof of intent. One of the videos shown was his alleged admission of responsibility and controversial statements about extrajudicial killings. As the hearing at the ICC continues until February 27, the world's eyes are on the court's decision on whether there are “substantial grounds” to hold the former president accountable under international law.