Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte faced judges at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague on Friday, marking a dramatic turn in the saga of his controversial war on drugs. His appearance comes just days after his arrest in Manila on murder charges linked to thousands of extrajudicial killings carried out under his administration.
The 79-year-old, looking frail and weary, spoke via video link from a detention center barely a mile away from the court. He had arrived in the Netherlands on Wednesday following his arrest, which was based on ICC charges of crimes against humanity. For the families of those who lost loved ones in the brutal crackdown, Duterteโs court appearance was a long-awaited moment of reckoning.
Justice for Drug War Killings
“This is the first step toward justice,” said Gilbert Andres, a lawyer representing the victims’ families, speaking outside the court.
But while victimsโ families saw hope, Duterteโs supporters cried foul. His legal counsel, Salvador Medialdea, lambasted the arrest as “pure and simple kidnapping,” arguing that Duterte had been deprived of legal recourse in his home country. “This is nothing more than political score-settling,” Medialdea declared during the hearing.
Presiding Judge Iulia Antoanella Motoc set a pretrial hearing for September 23 to determine whether the prosecution’s evidence is strong enough to warrant a full trial. If the case moves forward, the trial could take years, and if convicted, Duterte faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
During his presidency, the Philippine National Police reported over 6,000 deaths resulting from anti-drug operations.
However, human rights organizations estimate the true death toll could be as high as 30,000, many of whom were low-income Filipinos executed in alleged state-sanctioned killings.
The court allowed Duterte to attend the hearing via videoconference, citing the strain of his long journey. Wearing a jacket and tie, the former leader listened to the proceedings through headphones, his eyes often closed. He spoke briefly in English, confirming his identity. The court, however, did not require him to enter a plea.
The hearing, which began 30 minutes late, lasted roughly half an hour.
‘In Good Spirits’
Medialdea revealed that Duterte had been under medical observation, but the court’s doctor affirmed that he was “fully mentally aware and fit.”
Duterte’s dramatic arrest unfolded in Manila on Tuesday amid chaotic scenes, just after he returned from a trip to Hong Kong. Authorities swiftly placed him on a chartered jet to the Netherlands. His daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte, visited him at the ICC detention center and later addressed supporters outside.
“My father is in good spirits and well taken care of,” she assured them, adding that his biggest complaint was missing Filipino food. With a defiant tone, she warned, “There will be a day of reckoning for all.”
Meanwhile, thousands of activists took to the streets of Manila, demanding justice for the killings of Duterteโs anti-drug campaign. Across the Philippines, families of the slain watched the ICC proceedings on public screens, many clutching framed photos of their loved ones as prosecutors detailed the charges against the former president.
Landmark Moment
Prosecutors accuse Duterte of acting as an โindirect co-perpetratorโ in numerous murders, amounting to crimes against humanity. The charges span from November 2011โwhen he was mayor of Davao Cityโuntil March 2019, well into his presidency. Court documents allege that, as Davaoโs mayor, Duterte ordered police and vigilante death squads known as the “Davao Death Squad” (DDS) to eliminate drug suspects and criminals.
Human rights advocate hailed his arrest as a landmark moment in the fight against state impunity. โWe are happy and relieved,โ said Melinda Abion Lafuente, whose 22-year-old son Angelo was allegedly tortured and killed in 2016.
But Duterteโs legal team insists that the Philippine government under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. should never have allowed the ICC to take custody of him, arguing that the country withdrew from the courtโs jurisdiction in 2019.
Medialdea went further, accusing Marcos of conspiring with the ICC. “Two troubled entities struck an unlikely allianceโan incumbent president seeking to erase the legacy of my client and his daughter, and a legal institution struggling to maintain credibility.”
However, ICC judges maintain that the court retains jurisdiction because Duterteโs alleged crimes occurred before the Philippines officially exited the Rome Statute in 2019.
The fate of the former strongman hangs in the balance with the legal battle now set to unfold on the world stage.
About The Author
