Rodrigo Duterte, who was the President of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022, made his initial appearance at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague this Friday.
The hearing marks the beginning of a potentially long trial concerning crimes against humanity charges against him, related to his leadership of a severe anti-drug campaign in the Philippines. Human rights groups there claim the campaign resulted in numerous deaths.
Duterte, 79, participated in the hearing via video link. Judge Iulia Motoc, who presided over the hearing, acknowledged his “long journey with considerable time difference.” His legal representative, Salvador Medialdea, was physically present in the courtroom. Medialdea stated to the court that Duterte’s transfer to The Hague was “degrading” and described it as “a simple kidnapping.”
Duterte, the first former Asian head of state to appear before the court, arrived in The Hague after being arrested in Manila on March 11 upon his arrival from Hong Kong. Philippine authorities immediately transported Duterte to the Netherlands. Since his arrival, he has been held in the ICC’s detention center in Scheveningen, a coastal area.
Judge Motoc announced that the hearing to confirm the charges is scheduled for September 23.
In a video shared shortly after midnight local time on Thursday, Duterte appeared to accept responsibility for the actions of the police and military involved in his anti-drug campaign. He also acknowledged that “this would be a long legal proceedings.”
The ICC has faced criticism regarding the slow pace of its trials and its history of few convictions since its establishment in 2002. However, Duterte’s critics, including those who lost family members during anti-drug operations, are satisfied with his court appearance.
The National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers stated that Duterte’s arrest and surrender exemplify “how persons suspected of crimes are to be arrested and taken into custody by authorities,” procedures that “victims of the ‘war on drugs’ have barely enjoyed.”
Duterte’s aggressive anti-drug efforts in the Philippines led to a high number of deaths. The harsh tactics date back to his time as mayor of Davao City in the southern Philippines. In October, during a Senate hearing, Duterte admitted to having his own “” comprised of “gangsters,” and that he to “encourage” drug suspects to fight back so officers could justify killing them.
“Duterte is lucky he has due process, but my child who was killed did not have due process,” Emily Soriano stated at a press conference in Manila. Soriano’s teenage son, Angelito, was killed in anti-drug operations in 2016. “He sleeps in a nice bed, while my child is rotting in the cemetery,” she added.
Randy delos Santos, uncle of Kian delos Santos, a teenager killed in August 2017 during an anti-drug operation in Manila that became a prominent case, told : “Our former President is fortunate because he is given the chance to defend himself… My nephew was never brought to court. Many accusations were thrown. Then he was killed.”
stated, “Good for [Duterte] that he was just arrested by police, while our relatives were killed on the spot.” Her husband was killed by unidentified individuals in 2017.
Outside the ICC, anti-Duterte protesters voiced their support for his detention, with some holding signs saying, “Hold Duterte accountable and bring him to trial!” Meanwhile, pro-Duterte protesters chanted his name, calling to “Bring him home!”
Duterte’s legal team in the Philippines and his supporters have questioned the legality of his arrest. Some have even . However, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. that the Philippines “followed every single necessary procedure” in implementing the ICC’s arrest warrant and complied with its commitments to international bodies. The Marcos and Duterte families, previously political allies, had last year.