The ICC's confirmation of charges against Rodrigo Duterte represents a watershed moment in international accountability, particularly for state-sponsored violence in Asia. The ruling hinges on a meticulous dismantling of the "neutralize" euphemism, which Duterte's defense framed as lawful restraint but which the chamber, through witness testimony and documentary evidence, interpreted as a direct order to kill. This semantic unraveling is critical—it exposes how language can be weaponized to sani...