Former Philippine leader Duterte on flight to The Hague to face ICC charges
Former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte is en route to The Hague to face ICC charges of crimes against humanity for his deadly “war on drugs.”
IRNA- A plane carrying the former president of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, has left Manila, hours after the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued a warrant accusing him of crimes against humanity over his deadly “war on drugs.”
Duterte, 79, was taken into police custody upon his arrival at Manila's Ninoy Aquino International Airport from Hong Kong on Tuesday.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. confirmed that Duterte has departed Philippine airspace and is headed to The Hague, where the ICC is based.
The court seeks to hold Duterte accountable for the thousands of deaths that occurred during his anti-drug campaign, which began shortly after he took office in 2016.
Duterte, who served as president until 2022, rose to power on a platform of cracking down on crime and drugs. His administration’s “war on drugs” was marked by a brutal crackdown that resulted in the deaths of over 6,000 suspected drug users and dealers, according to official figures.
However, human rights groups estimate the actual number could be much higher, with many victims allegedly killed by police or unidentified assailants.
Critics of the campaign argue that it disproportionately targeted low-level drug offenders while failing to dismantle major drug networks.
Investigations by Philippine lawmakers have also claimed that a shadowy “death squad” allegedly worked under Duterte’s direction, though the former president has consistently denied any involvement in extrajudicial killings.
