Duterte now in ICC custody
MANILA, Philippines — After a 24-hour flight, the International Criminal Court (ICC) has officially taken former President Rodrigo Duterte into custody.
In a press release issued Thursday, March 13 (Manila time), the ICC announced that a hearing will soon be scheduled for Duterte’s initial appearance before the court.
“During this hearing, the Chamber will confirm the identity of the suspect and the language in which Mr. Duterte is able to follow the proceedings,” the ICC’s statement read.
“The Chamber will also satisfy itself that Mr. Duterte has been informed of the crime which he is alleged to have committed, and of his rights under the Rome Statute (‘the Statute’), the Court’s founding treaty,” it added.
The chartered flight carrying Duterte arrived at Rotterdam Airport in The Hague early Thursday morning after departing from Villamor Airbase in Pasay City on March 11.
The 79-year-old is expected to be detained at the ICC’s Detention Center in Scheveningen.
Charges vs Duterte
The ICC’s pre-trial chamber cited Duterte’s “alleged criminal responsibility” for crimes against humanity (murder) in connection with extrajudicial killings under his administration.
According to the ICC, the pre-trial chamber’s judges “found reasonable grounds” to believe that Duterte is “individually responsible as an indirect co-perpetrator” of the crime against humanity of murder, allegedly committed in the Philippines between Nov. 1, 2011, and March 16, 2019.
“The Chamber found that there was an attack directed against a civilian population pursuant to an organizational policy while Mr. Duterte was the head of the Davao Death Squad (DDS), and pursuant to a State policy while he was the President of the Philippines,” the ICC said.
“Moreover, there are reasonable grounds to believe that this attack was both widespread and systematic: the alleged attack took place over a period of several years and resulted in thousands of deaths,” it added.
The Chamber also found reasonable grounds to believe that Duterte, in his roles as DDS leader and later Philippine president, conspired with others to kill individuals identified as suspected criminals, including drug offenders.
According to official Philippine government records, Duterte’s war on drugs resulted in around 6,000 deaths.
However, human rights groups estimate that the actual death toll could be as high as 30,000, with most victims being small-time drug users and pushers.
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