TRANSCRIPT: Deputy prosecutor Mame Mandiaye Niang’s opening statements

International Criminal Court deputy prosecutor Mame Mandiaye Niang, on the first day of former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s confirmation of charges hearing at the ICC pre-trial chamber on Feb. 23, 2026, told judges that Duterte encouraged death squads to carry out extrajudicial killings using fear and financial rewards. Below is the transcript of Niang’s opening