Ex-President of Philippines extradited to The Hague for war on drugs trials
Philippines ex-president Rodrigo Duterte has been transported to The Hague after his arrest under an ICC warrant. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
Former President of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, has been transported to The Hague and is now in the custody of the International Criminal Court (ICC). He faces charges of crimes against humanity related to his administration's controversial 'war on drugs.'
Duterte's plane arrived in the Netherlands on Wednesday, following his arrest at Manila’s international airport a day earlier, executed under ICC orders.
The ICC released a statement on Wednesday indicating that Duterte had been “surrendered” into its custody and that a hearing would be scheduled “in due course.” The court had confirmed to CNN on Tuesday that an arrest warrant had been issued for actions allegedly committed between 2011 and 2019.
After taking office in 2016, Duterte initiated a war on drugs, vowing to eliminate illegal narcotics by empowering the national police to kill any drug suspects they felt posed a threat.
In 2018, the ICC began a preliminary investigation into Duterte’s anti-drug campaign, examining allegations that Philippine police had conducted thousands of extrajudicial killings and employed other violent tactics against suspected drug offenders, with Duterte purportedly giving implicit support to these actions.
Activists have accused law enforcement of murdering innocent individuals, including children, while police have claimed that their use of violence was solely in self-defense. Although Duterte has denied any illegal actions, he has acknowledged the campaign's toll on lives. Official figures state that around 6,200 individuals were killed in police operations, although some observers believe the actual number could be significantly higher.
In a video posted online by his youngest daughter, Duterte appears to question his arrest’s legality, asking, “What is my sin?” He asserts, “I did everything in my time so that Filipinos can have a little peace and tranquillity.”
Duterte's attorneys, representing his daughter Veronica, have filed a petition accusing the government of “kidnapping” and demanding his return. His eldest daughter, Sara, who currently serves as vice president of the country, traveled to Amsterdam on Wednesday morning to aid in his defense.
Human rights advocates have denounced the arrest as unlawful, emphasizing that the Philippines formally withdrew from the ICC in 2019 at Duterte's direction. However, the ICC asserts that it retains jurisdiction over alleged crimes committed while the Philippines was still a member.
RT correspondent Rebecca Napitupulu, reporting from Jakarta, Indonesia, highlighted Duterte’s past criticism of Western powers, especially the United States, accusing them of colonization and warmongering. In a 2020 interview with RTN, Duterte remarked that the US still treats the Philippines like a “vassal state,” referencing the almost 50 years of American colonial rule during which he claimed, “they lived off the fat of the land before we got our independence.”
Emily Johnson contributed to this report for TROIB News
Duterte's plane arrived in the Netherlands on Wednesday, following his arrest at Manila’s international airport a day earlier, executed under ICC orders.
The ICC released a statement on Wednesday indicating that Duterte had been “surrendered” into its custody and that a hearing would be scheduled “in due course.” The court had confirmed to CNN on Tuesday that an arrest warrant had been issued for actions allegedly committed between 2011 and 2019.
After taking office in 2016, Duterte initiated a war on drugs, vowing to eliminate illegal narcotics by empowering the national police to kill any drug suspects they felt posed a threat.
In 2018, the ICC began a preliminary investigation into Duterte’s anti-drug campaign, examining allegations that Philippine police had conducted thousands of extrajudicial killings and employed other violent tactics against suspected drug offenders, with Duterte purportedly giving implicit support to these actions.
Activists have accused law enforcement of murdering innocent individuals, including children, while police have claimed that their use of violence was solely in self-defense. Although Duterte has denied any illegal actions, he has acknowledged the campaign's toll on lives. Official figures state that around 6,200 individuals were killed in police operations, although some observers believe the actual number could be significantly higher.
In a video posted online by his youngest daughter, Duterte appears to question his arrest’s legality, asking, “What is my sin?” He asserts, “I did everything in my time so that Filipinos can have a little peace and tranquillity.”
Duterte's attorneys, representing his daughter Veronica, have filed a petition accusing the government of “kidnapping” and demanding his return. His eldest daughter, Sara, who currently serves as vice president of the country, traveled to Amsterdam on Wednesday morning to aid in his defense.
Human rights advocates have denounced the arrest as unlawful, emphasizing that the Philippines formally withdrew from the ICC in 2019 at Duterte's direction. However, the ICC asserts that it retains jurisdiction over alleged crimes committed while the Philippines was still a member.
RT correspondent Rebecca Napitupulu, reporting from Jakarta, Indonesia, highlighted Duterte’s past criticism of Western powers, especially the United States, accusing them of colonization and warmongering. In a 2020 interview with RTN, Duterte remarked that the US still treats the Philippines like a “vassal state,” referencing the almost 50 years of American colonial rule during which he claimed, “they lived off the fat of the land before we got our independence.”
Emily Johnson contributed to this report for TROIB News
