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Former Philippines leader gets deported to Hague due to war on drugs
(MENAFN) Rodrigo Duterte, the former president of the Philippines, has been extradited to The Hague and placed in the custody of the International Criminal Court (ICC), where he faces charges of crimes against humanity related to his administration’s violent war on drugs.
Duterte arrived in the Netherlands on Wednesday, a day after being arrested at Manila’s international airport under an ICC warrant. The court confirmed in a statement that Duterte had been "surrendered" into its custody, with a hearing to be scheduled soon. According to the ICC, the charges cover alleged crimes committed between 2011 and 2019.
After assuming the presidency in 2016, Duterte launched a brutal anti-drug campaign, instructing law enforcement to kill drug suspects if officers believed their lives were in danger. The ICC began investigating the crackdown in 2018, following allegations of widespread extrajudicial killings and other human rights abuses.
Activists have accused authorities of executing thousands of suspects, including innocent civilians and children, while the police have claimed that lethal force was only used in self-defense. While official figures report around 6,200 deaths in police operations, independent observers believe the actual toll is much higher.
In a video shared online by his youngest daughter, Duterte questioned the legitimacy of his arrest, saying, "What is my sin? I did everything in my time so that Filipinos could have a little peace and tranquility."
His lawyers, acting on behalf of his daughter Veronica, filed a legal challenge, accusing the government of "kidnapping" him and demanding his return. Meanwhile, his eldest daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte, flew to Amsterdam on Wednesday to assist with his legal defense.
Human rights groups have criticized the arrest, arguing that the Philippines withdrew from the ICC in 2019 under Duterte’s directive, and therefore the court has no jurisdiction. However, the ICC maintains that it still has authority over alleged crimes committed while the country was a signatory.
RT correspondent Rebecca Napitupulu, reporting from Jakarta, highlighted Duterte’s history of outspoken criticism toward Western powers, particularly the United States, which he accused of colonial exploitation. In a 2020 interview, he claimed that the US treated the Philippines like a "vassal state" and referenced its nearly 50-year period of colonial rule before Philippine independence.
Duterte arrived in the Netherlands on Wednesday, a day after being arrested at Manila’s international airport under an ICC warrant. The court confirmed in a statement that Duterte had been "surrendered" into its custody, with a hearing to be scheduled soon. According to the ICC, the charges cover alleged crimes committed between 2011 and 2019.
After assuming the presidency in 2016, Duterte launched a brutal anti-drug campaign, instructing law enforcement to kill drug suspects if officers believed their lives were in danger. The ICC began investigating the crackdown in 2018, following allegations of widespread extrajudicial killings and other human rights abuses.
Activists have accused authorities of executing thousands of suspects, including innocent civilians and children, while the police have claimed that lethal force was only used in self-defense. While official figures report around 6,200 deaths in police operations, independent observers believe the actual toll is much higher.
In a video shared online by his youngest daughter, Duterte questioned the legitimacy of his arrest, saying, "What is my sin? I did everything in my time so that Filipinos could have a little peace and tranquility."
His lawyers, acting on behalf of his daughter Veronica, filed a legal challenge, accusing the government of "kidnapping" him and demanding his return. Meanwhile, his eldest daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte, flew to Amsterdam on Wednesday to assist with his legal defense.
Human rights groups have criticized the arrest, arguing that the Philippines withdrew from the ICC in 2019 under Duterte’s directive, and therefore the court has no jurisdiction. However, the ICC maintains that it still has authority over alleged crimes committed while the country was a signatory.
RT correspondent Rebecca Napitupulu, reporting from Jakarta, highlighted Duterte’s history of outspoken criticism toward Western powers, particularly the United States, which he accused of colonial exploitation. In a 2020 interview, he claimed that the US treated the Philippines like a "vassal state" and referenced its nearly 50-year period of colonial rule before Philippine independence.
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