Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was arrested in Manila and promptly transferred to the International Criminal Court (ICC) detention center in The Hague, Netherlands on Wednesday (March 12th), facing murder charges related to the drug war.
The ICC stated that Duterte “has been transferred to the ICC detention center. He was arrested by the Philippine authorities… The crimes he is accused of constitute murder, which falls under crimes against humanity.”
The 79-year-old former Philippine president arrived at Rotterdam-The Hague Airport earlier on Wednesday by charter plane. According to the ICC statement, he is scheduled to appear in court in The Hague for a preliminary hearing in the coming days and has been placed in detention at a center in the Netherlands.
Despite his attempts to prevent extradition, Duterte ultimately failed. If brought to trial, he could become the first former Asian head of state to face trial at the ICC.
In a video captured during his arrest in Manila on Tuesday, Duterte questioned, “What is the basis for my detention? What crime have I committed?”
When officials read him his rights and informed him of the ICC’s murder charges for which he was arrested, Duterte responded: “It should be ‘murder charges,’ not just singular but plural.”
According to rights activists’ statistics, the brutal crackdown he led as President of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022 resulted in up to 30,000 deaths.
Reuters reported that earlier on Wednesday, about 20 anti-Duterte protesters gathered outside the ICC headquarters in The Hague, holding up banners, one of which read, “We demand justice and accountability! Rodrigo Duterte is a war criminal!”
“This is good news for the Filipino people,” said protester Menandro Abanes welcoming Duterte’s arrest and extradition, “I am here to express gratitude to the ICC for ending the culture of impunity.”
Another protester, Mary-Grace Labasan, said, “In reality, he is lucky because he at least has the protection of due process, whereas many victims didn’t even get a chance to go to court and were just shot dead.”
Meanwhile, a small group of Duterte supporters also rallied in front of the courthouse.
“They handed our president over to foreigners,” protester Janet Suliman said, “This is embarrassing for our country.”
In the Philippines, many families of victims of the drug war are relieved by Duterte’s arrest, seeing it as an opportunity for justice.
The drug war was a cornerstone of Duterte’s 2016 election campaign and helped him win the presidency. During his six-year term, according to police data, at least 6,200 suspects were killed in anti-drug operations.
However, activists believe the actual death toll is much higher, with many drug users from impoverished neighborhoods being included in community “watchlists” and even if they voluntarily signed up for rehabilitation, they were still shot by unknown gunmen.
Duterte’s eldest daughter, Sara Duterte, the Vice President of the Philippines, boarded a flight to Amsterdam on Wednesday morning, but her office did not specify the purpose of the trip or her duration in the Netherlands.
One of Duterte’s lawyers, Silvestre Bello, stated that the legal team will hold a meeting to assess legal strategies and seek to ensure their access to Duterte’s rights.
Duterte’s former chief legal advisor, Salvador Panelo, indicated that Duterte’s youngest daughter, Veronica Duterte, plans to file a writ of habeas corpus with the Philippine Supreme Court, demanding the government bring Duterte back to the country.
This arrest marks a significant shift in the Duterte family’s political clout. The family aligned with the Marcos family in 2022, and Sara Duterte and Bongbong Marcos won the presidential election with overwhelming support. However, their relationship deteriorated, leading to Sara Duterte’s impeachment by the lower house of parliament last month.