Philippine Ex-President Duterte En Route to Netherlands to Face ICC Charges Over Drug War Killings
Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is en route to the Netherlands to face charges of crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court (ICC), linked to his controversial crackdown on drugs during his presidency, The Associated Press reports.
The 79-year-old’s impending arrival follows an arrest warrant issued by the global court, a move hailed by human rights groups and victims’ families as a significant step towards accountability.
While the ICC has not yet officially commented, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. confirmed on Tuesday that Duterte was arrested by police upon his return from Hong Kong and subsequently dispatched to the ICC. Flight tracking data indicates that the jet carrying Duterte departed Manila and made a lengthy stopover in Dubai before apparently resuming its journey toward Rotterdam The Hague Airport.
Duterte is expected to be transferred to the ICC’s detention unit, located within a Dutch prison complex near the North Sea coast, upon arrival in the Netherlands.
The arrest has ignited a firestorm of reactions. Supporters of Duterte have condemned his arrest as illegal, demanding his return to the Philippines. Small groups of both pro-Duterte and anti-Duterte demonstrators gathered outside the ICC in The Hague on Wednesday, awaiting his arrival.
The ICC opened an investigation in 2021 into the alleged mass killings associated with Duterte’s “war on drugs,” a policy he oversaw during his tenures as mayor of Davao City and later as president of the Philippines.
The estimated death toll during Duterte’s presidential term remains a point of contention. While the Philippine National Police reports over 6,000 deaths, human rights organizations estimate the figure to be as high as 30,000.
The ICC judges who issued the arrest warrant cited “reasonable grounds to believe that Mr. Duterte is individually responsible for the crime against humanity of murder.” They allege he acted as an “indirect co-perpetrator” by overseeing the killings both as mayor of Davao and later as President of the Philippines.
