Asia

Philippines lawyer alleges President Duterte link to deaths

Associated Press
Published | Updated

Lawyer Jude Sabio from the Philippines holds a 77-page file outside the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands, Monday, April 24, 2017. Sabio presented the file to prosecutors and asked to investigate his country's president Rodrigo Duterte for crimes against humanity for his alleged involvement in extrajudicial killings of suspected drug dealers and other crime suspects. (AP Photo/Mike Corder) (The Associated Press)

FILE - In this Tuesday, April 4, 2017 file photo, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte gestures while addressing army troopers during the 120th anniversary celebration of the Philippine Army at Fort Bonifacio in suburban Taguig city, east of Manila, Philippines. Lawyer Jude Sabio from the Philippines has asked prosecutors of the International Criminal Court, ICC, to investigate his country's president for crimes against humanity for his alleged involvement in extrajudicial killings of suspected drug dealers and other crime suspects. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez, File) (The Associated Press)

Lawyer Jude Sabio from the Philippines poses for a portrait as he holds a 77-page file outside the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands, Monday, April 24, 2017. Sabio presented the file to prosecutors and asked to investigate his country's president Rodrigo Duterte for crimes against humanity for his alleged involvement in extrajudicial killings of suspected drug dealers and other crime suspects. (AP Photo/Mike Corder) (The Associated Press)

A Filipino lawyer has presented documents to the International Criminal Court which he says contain evidence of the alleged involvement of President Rodrigo Duterte in extrajudicial killings of suspected drug dealers and other crime suspects.

Lawyer Jude Sabio presented a 77-page file outlining the allegations to prosecutors Monday morning.

The court receives many such communications about alleged crimes from around the world and prosecutors are not obliged to open preliminary investigations based on them. However, Sabio's filing comes after ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said last year that she was "deeply concerned" by reports of killings in the Philippines.