Rodrigo Duterte’s legal team has accused the government of “kidnapping” in a formal complaint.
Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is now at The Hague, under the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) authority, to answer for alleged crimes against humanity connected to his “war on drugs” while in office.
Duterte’s plane arrived in the Netherlands on Wednesday, a day after his arrest at Manila airport based on an ICC warrant.
The ICC stated on Wednesday that Duterte was “surrendered” to them and a hearing will be scheduled in “due course.” CNN reported that the ICC confirmed on Tuesday they issued an arrest warrant for actions allegedly committed between 2011 and 2019.
Duterte initiated a war on drugs after becoming president in 2016, tasking the police with eliminating illegal narcotics by authorizing the killing of drug suspects if officers felt threatened.
The ICC began a preliminary investigation into Duterte’s anti-drug campaign in 2018, focusing on claims that the Philippine police committed thousands of extrajudicial killings and used brutal tactics against suspected drug dealers, with Duterte allegedly supporting these actions.
Activists claim innocent people, including children, were killed by authorities, while police maintain they only used violence in self-defense. Duterte has denied any wrongdoing, though he admits the crackdown was not without bloodshed. Official reports indicate approximately 6,200 people died during police operations, but some suggest the actual number is much higher.
In a video posted online by his youngest daughter, Duterte questions the legality of his arrest, asking, “What is my sin?” and stating, “I did everything in my time so that Filipinos can have a little peace and tranquilly.”
Duterte’s lawyers, representing his daughter Veronica, filed a petition accusing the government of “kidnapping” and demanding his return. His eldest daughter, current Vice-President Sara Duterte, traveled to Amsterdam on Wednesday to assist in his defense.
Human rights advocates have denounced the arrest as illegal, citing the Philippines’ formal withdrawal from the ICC in 2019 under Duterte’s instruction.
The ICC asserts it still has jurisdiction over alleged crimes committed while the Philippines was a member of the court.
RT correspondent Rebecca Napitupulu, reporting from Jakarta, Indonesia, mentioned Duterte’s past criticisms of Western powers, particularly the US, accusing them of colonization and warmongering.
In a 2020 interview with RT, Duterte stated the US continued to treat the Philippines as a “vassal state,” referring to the nearly 50 years of American colonial rule when, he claimed, “they lived off the fat of the land before we got our independence.”
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