THE HAGUE- Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was "pivotal" in the murder of thousands of people during his rule, prosecutors at the International Criminal Court (ICC) said on Monday, as they pushed for his trial to go ahead.

The prosecutors at the Hague-based war crimes court have charged Duterte with three counts of murder as a crime against humanity, involving dozens of victims that accusers say were only a fraction of the real death toll in his clampdown on alleged drug users and criminals.

"Duterte's so-called war on drugs resulted in the killings of thousands of civilians and many of these victims were children," prosecutor Mame Niang said at the opening of pre-trial hearings meant to confirm charges.

"Mr Duterte must be held to account and this case should be confirmed for trial," he added. Under the ICC rules, judges will have to confirm charges before the case can move to trial.

Duterte's lawyer Nicholas Kaufman said the charges had been politically motivated, and that Duterte had been misunderstood.

"He maintains his innocence in full," Kaufman said, as he pleaded for the charges to be dropped. "Duterte's rhetoric was meant to instill fear and a respect for the law. That was his intent and it was not criminal."

Duterte served as president of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022 and was arrested and taken to The Hague last March. According to the prosecutors, Duterte created, funded and armed death squads to target and kill alleged narcotics peddlers and users.

Duterte has long insisted he instructed police to kill only in self-defence and has always defended the crackdown.

OPPONENTS GATHER

Opponents of Duterte gathered outside the court building, chanting "Hold Duterte accountable!" in Tagalog.

"I hope, and I am quite confident, that the charges of murder and attempted murder will be confirmed" and Duterte's guilt ultimately proven, Cristina Palabay, a worker at the human rights alliance Karapatan, told Reuters outside court.

Duterte, 80, will not be present at the hearings, as his defence said he would not be able to understand proceedings due to his cognitive decline. Judges last month ruled that Duterte was fit to stand trial.

"For us, it's cowardice," said Sheerah Escudero, whose brother was killed during the war on drugs. "We know that Duterte will not be able to escape accountability."

After the hearings conclude on Friday, judges will take up to 60 days to decide if there is sufficient evidence to move the case to a trial.