A Gulfstream G550 aircraft believed to hold former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte enters a hangar after touchdown at Rotterdam The Hague Airport, following Dutertre’s arrest on an Worldwide Prison Courtroom warrant tied to his lethal crackdown on medication, on March 12, 2025. The 79-year-old faces a cost of “the crime towards humanity of homicide,” in line with the ICC, for a crackdown that rights teams estimate killed tens of hundreds of principally poor males, typically with out proof they have been linked to medication. (Picture by JOHN THYS / AFP)
Former Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte mentioned he was “accountable” because the Worldwide Prison Courtroom took him into custody Wednesday to face prices of crimes towards humanity over his struggle on medication.
The ICC, primarily based in The Hague, believes there are “cheap grounds” to cost Duterte with homicide as against the law towards humanity, as an “oblique co-perpetrator” in the course of the anti-drug marketing campaign that rights teams estimate killed tens of hundreds.
“I’m the one who led our legislation enforcement and navy. I mentioned that I’ll shield you and I will likely be accountable for all of this,” Duterte advised his nation, in a video shared on his and an in depth advisor’s Fb pages as he was about to land.
“I’ve been telling the police, the navy, that it was my job and I’m accountable,” mentioned the 79-year-old, the primary Asian former head of state to face prices on the ICC.
The courtroom guidelines on the world’s worst crimes, together with struggle crimes, crimes towards humanity and genocide.
A spokesman confirmed Duterte was in courtroom custody after he arrived in Rotterdam by non-public jet.
A automobile regarded as carrying Duterte drove into the ICC detention centre in The Hague previous a crowd of dozens of supporters, some shouting: “Convey him again” and waving nationwide flags.
“There was no due course of,” mentioned caregiver Duds Quibin, 50. “That is kidnapping. They only put him on a aircraft and introduced him right here,” he advised AFP.
The middle, situated near the North Coastline, affords every prisoner a person cell geared up with a pc to work on their case, together with an outside train space.
Duterte will likely be held right here till an preliminary courtroom look, possible within the coming days.
Talking to AFP exterior the ICC, Gilbert Andres, a lawyer representing victims of the drug struggle, mentioned: “My purchasers are very grateful to God as a result of their prayers have been answered.”
“The arrest of Rodrigo Duterte is a good sign for worldwide felony justice. It implies that nobody is above the legislation,” Andres added.
– ‘Oppression and persecution’ –
Earlier than her father’s departure, the Philippines’ Vice President Sara Duterte mentioned he was being “forcibly taken to The Hague,” labelling the switch “oppression and persecution.”
A one-time alliance between President Ferdinand Marcos and the Duterte household has exploded spectacularly for the reason that 2022 presidential election, when Sara Duterte was Marcos’ working mate.
She is presently going through a Senate trial on a lot of prices, together with corruption and an alleged assassination plot towards Marcos.
Duterte himself had earlier taken to social media, claiming the Supreme Courtroom would step in and stop his switch.
At a church within the capital Manila, folks whose relations have been killed within the “drug struggle” welcomed the arrest.
“Duterte is lucky, there’s due course of for him. There was no due course of for my son” Angelito, mentioned Emily Soriano at a press briefing organized by an area rights group.
Duterte “will likely be mendacity down on a great mattress, my son is already rotting on the cemetery.”
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turk described the arrest as “a vital step in the direction of searching for accountability for the hundreds of victims of killings.”
China, nonetheless, warned the ICC towards “politicisation” and “double requirements” within the Duterte case, saying it was “carefully monitoring” it.
The high-profile case got here with the ICC presently beneath sanctions from Donald Trump.
The US president is sad on the courtroom issuing an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over alleged crimes dedicated in the course of the Gaza struggle.
ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan mentioned the very fact the arrest warrant had been carried out “is essential to victims” and proof that “worldwide legislation will not be as weak as some might imagine.”
– ‘Davao Loss of life Squad’ –
The Philippines stop the ICC in 2019 on Duterte’s directions.
However the tribunal claims jurisdiction over killings as much as then, together with ones within the southern metropolis of Davao when Duterte was mayor.
The ICC mentioned in its arrest warrant there have been “cheap grounds to imagine” at the least 19 folks had been murdered within the metropolis by members of the “Davao Loss of life Squad,” headed by Duterte.
Moreover, at the least 24 folks have been killed by Philippines police in varied areas, judges imagine.
On Sunday, Duterte lashed out, labelling ICC investigators “sons of whores” whereas saying he would “settle for” an arrest.
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Duterte remains to be vastly well-liked amongst many who supported his quick-fix options to crime, and he stays a potent political drive.
