Former Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has been surrendered to the custody of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Netherlands on allegations of crimes against humanity linked to his deadly “war on drugs,” Al Jazeera reported. Duterte arrived in Rotterdam after being arrested in Manila on Tuesday following his return from a visit to Hong Kong.
In a statement on Wednesday, the ICC confirmed that Duterte, 79, had been arrested by Philippine authorities based on an arrest warrant issued by Pre-Trial Chamber I. The charges against him include murder as a crime against humanity. Duterte is expected to make an initial appearance before an ICC judge in The Hague in the coming days. He has been taken to a detention unit on the Dutch coast.
The ICC warrant accuses Duterte of creating, funding, and arming death squads that participated in the killing of alleged drug users and dealers during his presidency. If the trial proceeds, Duterte would become the first Asian former head of state to face justice in The Hague.
Outside the ICC building in The Hague, anti-Duterte protesters gathered with banners demanding justice and accountability, calling Duterte a “war criminal.”
The ICC launched its inquiry into the mass killings associated with Duterte’s anti-drug campaign in 2021. The investigation covers his time as mayor of Davao City and later as President of the Philippines.
According to the ICC’s warrant, judges found “reasonable grounds to believe that Mr Duterte is individually responsible for the crime against humanity of murder” as an “indirect co-perpetrator” for allegedly overseeing the killings. Police figures report 6,200 deaths during Duterte’s six-year presidency, though human rights advocates estimate the actual number of fatalities to be around 30,000.
