Anna Holligan

We have been hearing from the prosecution in court.

They said that the killings weren't random or spontaneous, but part of a widespread and systematic attack against the civilian population.

So this is all about Rodrigo Duterte's so-called war on drugs.

The prosecution have been outlining their case.

They said that he was at the heart of a common plan to neutralize individuals thought to be involved in drugs.

One of the first things he did after becoming mayor of Davao City, they said, was set up the Davao death squads and instructed them to kill suspected drug users and dealers.

Then when he was campaigning to become president, he said that he would carry out a similar policy, order the military to hunt down and kill drug criminals.

And then as president, they said he rolled out this campaign nationwide.

It was called Double Barrel and it was an effort to carry out extrajudicial killings.

The prosecution said he wasn't prepared to give those suspected of committing crimes the same opportunity as Rodrigo Duterte, the former president of the Philippines, has today in The Hague, which is to experience due process.

So they've been outlining the case right now.

His defence team are presenting their opening statements.

Rodrigo Duterte is not here.

He has submitted a letter, I have a copy of it here, to the judges saying that he is too...

tired, he's too old to take part in legal proceedings.

He said he will forget within minutes.

So that's part of the defence's argument that he's at 80 years old suffering from dementia.

But these claims that he's not able to follow the proceedings have been rejected by the judges here.

They say he's fit enough for these hearings at least to go ahead.

Exactly.