THE International Criminal Court (ICC) has taken custody of former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte following a warrant accusing him of crimes against humanity over his brutal anti-drugs campaign while in office.
Duterte, 79, was arrested in Manila on Tuesday at the request of the ICC and flown to the Netherlands, where he arrived on Wednesday.
Upon landing, he was taken into custody, with medical assistance made available as per standard procedure.
An ambulance was seen at the hangar where his plane was taken, while security was heightened with a police helicopter hovering nearby. A black SUV carrying Duterte later departed under escort, though its destination remained unclear.
His arrest was widely welcomed by human rights organisations and victims’ families.
“This is a monumental and long-overdue step for justice for thousands of victims and their families,” said Jerrie Abella of Amnesty International.
Emily Soriano, whose son was among the crackdown’s casualties, said, “Duterte is lucky he has due process, but our children who were killed did not have due process.”
Meanwhile, Duterte’s supporters decried the move as politically motivated and questioned the ICC’s jurisdiction.
Small demonstrations, both in support of and against his arrest, took place outside the court in The Hague.
Duterte is set to appear before the ICC in the coming days for an initial hearing, where his identity will be confirmed, the charges will be read, and a date for further proceedings will be set. If convicted, he could face a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
Duterte’s legal counsel, Salvador Panelo, argued that the arrest lacked probable cause, adding that the Philippine Supreme Court “can compel the government to bring back the person arrested and detained without probable cause.”
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. defended the arrest, calling it “proper and correct” while dismissing claims of political persecution
However, Duterte’s daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte, criticised the Marcos administration for handing him over to the ICC. She has since travelled to
The Hague to meet her father and his legal team.
The ICC launched its inquiry in 2021 into extrajudicial killings linked to Duterte’s war on drugs, spanning both his tenure as President and his earlier role as mayor of Davao. Official estimates put the death toll at over 6,000, though human rights groups claim the figure may be as high as 30,000.
ICC judges reviewing the prosecution’s evidence found “reasonable grounds to believe that Duterte is individually responsible for the crime against humanity of murder,” stating that he acted as an “indirect co-perpetrator” in overseeing the killings.
While the Philippines withdrew from the ICC in 2019, the court maintains jurisdiction over alleged crimes committed before that date.
The Duterte administration had previously sought to block the investigation, arguing that Philippine authorities were already handling the matter.
However, in 2023, ICC appeals judges ruled that the probe could resume.
Duterte’s legal team is expected to challenge the ICC’s jurisdiction and the admissibility of the case, a process that could take months.
Should the trial proceed, it may span several years. In the meantime, he can apply for provisional release, though that decision rests with ICC judges.
As Duterte’s plane headed to The Hague, grieving families gathered in the Philippines, holding urns of their loved ones.
“We are happy and we feel relieved,” said Melinda Abion Lafuente, whose son was allegedly tortured and killed in 2016.
A video posted on Duterte’s official Facebook page showed him addressing his countrymen mid-flight, stating, “This will be a long legal proceedings. I say to you, I will continue to serve you.”
The ICC has yet to announce a trial date but expressed gratitude to Philippine authorities “for their commitment to upholding international accountability mechanisms.”
