ROTTERDAM—The International Criminal Court detained former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday after his arrest in Manila on murder charges related to his "war on drugs," in which thousands of reputed dealers and users were slain.
The ICC claimed in a statement that Duterte has "surrendered to the custody of the International Criminal Court." Authorities of the Republic of the Philippines arrested him on allegations of murder as a crime against humanity.
The 79-year-old landed at Rotterdam Airport on a chartered flight earlier Wednesday. According to the statement, he will be hauled before an ICC court in The Hague in the coming days for his initial appearance. He was sent to a detention facility on the Dutch coast.
Duterte, who led the Philippines from 2016 to 2022, will face charges of crimes against humanity for directing death squads during his anti-drug campaign. He might become the first Asian former head of state to stand trial there.
According to the ICC arrest request, Duterte formed, financed, and equipped death squads that murdered alleged drug users and traffickers while serving as president.
In a video taken after his arrest in Manila on Tuesday, Duterte questioned, "What is the basis for my detention?" What offense was committed?"
An officer who read Duterte his rights informed him that it was based on an ICC warrant charging him of murder, to which Duterte responded, "It must be murders," implying that it was plural.
About 20 anti-Duterte demonstrators gathered earlier outside the ICC in The Hague, holding placards that read: "We demand justice and accountability, Rodrigo Duterte is a war criminal!""
A demonstrator carried a large cardboard mask picturing Duterte as a vampire.
“This is great news for Filipino people,” anti-Duterte protester Menandro Abanes said of Duterte’s arrest and transfer to the court. “I’m here to show my appreciation to [the] ICC for doing its job to end impunity.”
Another protester, Mary-Grace Labasan, said: “Actually, he is lucky, because he is experiencing the due process of law compared to the victims who were just being shot and killed without any due process.”
A handful of pro-Duterte protesters also gathered at the court building.
“They handed our president to foreigners,” protester Janet Suliman said. “They brought shame to our [country].”
Back home, the arrest of Duterte has rekindled hope for justice among families of victims of the Philippine drug war.
The war on drugs was the primary campaign plank that propelled the volatile Duterte to victory in 2016. During his six years in government, the police murdered 6,200 suspects during anti-drug operations.
Activists claim the true toll was far higher, with many more slum drug users, some of whom were on community "watch lists" after signing up for treatment, murdered down in inexplicable circumstances.
Sara Duterte, the former president's daughter and the country's vice president, boarded a morning flight to Amsterdam, according to her office, although it did not specify what she wanted to do or how long she expected to remain.
Silvestre Bello, a former labor minister and one of the former president's attorneys, stated that a legal team will convene to analyze possibilities and seek clarification on where Duterte would be transported and whether they would be allowed access to him.
Salvador Panelo, Duterte's former senior legal counsel, said his youngest daughter, Veronica, intends to file a habeas corpus motion with the Philippine Supreme Court to compel the government to return him.
The arrest signals a startling turn of events for the powerful Duterte family, which formed a formidable alliance with Marcos to help him win the 2022 election by a landslide.
However, Marcos and his vice president have had a dramatic falling out, which culminated in Sara Duterte's impeachment last month by a lower house backed by Marcos supporters.
His arrest "demonstrates that international justice is not only a Western invention. It is not only a Western notion. "It is universal," said Gilbert Andres, a lawyer who represents families of drug-related murder victims.
