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Rodrigo Duterte: Philippines ex-leader on airplane to the Hague after arrest

Rodrigo Duterte: Philippines ex-leader on airplane to the Hague after arrest
March 11, 2025



Jonathan HeadSouth East Asia correspondentWatch: Rodrigo Duterte questions ICC warrant for his arrestA airplane sporting the previous president of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, has left Manila, hours after the Global Felony Court docket (ICC) issued a warrant accusing him of crimes in opposition to humanity over his fatal “conflict on tablets”.The 79-year-old was once taken into police custody in a while after his arrival on the capital’s global airport from Hong Kong on Tuesday morning. Present President Ferdinand Marcos Jr showed Duterte had left Philippine airspace, en path to The Hague within the Netherlands, the place the ICC sits.Previous, his daughter Sara – who mentioned she would accompany him to the Hague – mentioned he was once being “forcibly” despatched there. Duterte has introduced no apologies for his brutal anti-drugs crackdown, which noticed 1000’s of other folks killed when he was once president of the South East Asian country from 2016 to 2022, and mayor of Davao town ahead of that.Upon his arrest on Tuesday, he puzzled the root for the warrant, asking: “What crime [have] I dedicated?” in a video posted on-line by means of his daughter Veronica Duterte.”If I dedicated a sin, prosecute me in Philippine courts, with Filipino judges, and I will be able to permit myself to be jailed in my very own country,” he mentioned in a later video. In line with his arrest, a petition was once introduced on his behalf within the Superb Court docket – urging them to not conform to the request.In it, Duterte steered the court docket to chorus from “implementing or helping within the enforcement of any ICC-issued warrants… and to droop all types of cooperation with the ICC whilst the case is pending”.In line with a remark from the court docket’s spokesperson, the previous president also known as for a declaration that the Philippines withdrawal from the ICC in 2019 “successfully terminated” its jurisdiction over the rustic and its other folks. The ICC says it nonetheless has authority within the Philippines over alleged crimes dedicated ahead of the rustic withdrew as a member.A few of Duterte’s supporters rallied on the gates to Villamor Air Base, throughout the airport compound, the place the previous president was once taken following his arrest. State media mentioned greater than 370 police were deployed there and to different “key places” to make sure peace was once maintained. Whilst his supporters have criticised the arrest, activists have referred to as it a “historical second” for individuals who perished in his drug conflict and their households, the Global Coalition for Human Rights within the Philippines (ICHRP) mentioned.”The arc of the ethical universe is lengthy, however these days, it has bent in opposition to justice. Duterte’s arrest is the start of responsibility for the mass killings that outlined his brutal rule,” mentioned ICHRP chairman Peter Murphy.Duterte were in Hong Kong to marketing campaign for the approaching 12 Might mid-term elections, the place he had deliberate to run once more for mayor of Davao. Pictures aired on native tv confirmed him strolling out of the airport the use of a cane. Government say he’s in “just right well being” and is being cared for by means of executive docs. “What’s my sin? I did the whole lot in my time for peace and a calm lifestyles for the Filipino other folks,” he informed a cheering crowd of Filipino expatriates ahead of leaving Hong Kong.Rodrigo Duterte: Philippines ex-leader on airplane to the Hague after arrestGetty Images Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte gives a speech during a campaign rally at Southorn Stadium on March 09, 2025 in Hong Kong, China. Getty ImagesDuterte was once arrested by means of police in Manila airport in a while after his arrival from Hong KongDuterte’s arrest marks the “starting of a brand new bankruptcy in Philippine historical past”, mentioned Filipino political scientist Richard Heydarian.”That is about rule of legislation and human rights,” he mentioned.Heydarian added that government had arrested Duterte promptly on the airport as an alternative of letting the topic take its direction in the course of the native courts to “steer clear of political chaos”.”Duterte’s supporters have been hoping they may move berserk in the case of public rallies and [use] all types of delaying ways… [to] drag issues on till the warrant of arrest loses momentum,” he mentioned.The call for for justice in Duterte’s drug conflict is going “hand in hand” with the political pursuits of his successor, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Heydarian mentioned.The Duterte and Marcos households shaped an impressive alliance within the remaining elections in 2022, the place in opposition to the elder Duterte’s needs, his daughter Sara ran as Marcos Jr’s vice-president as an alternative of in the hunt for her father’s publish.The connection unravelled publicly in contemporary months as the 2 households pursued separate political agendas.Marcos first of all refused to co-operate with the ICC investigation, however as his courting with the Duterte circle of relatives deteriorated, he modified his stance, and later indicated that the Philippines would co-operate.The ‘conflict on tablets’Duterte served as mayor of Davao, a sprawling southern city, for 22 years and has made it probably the most nation’s most secure from avenue crimes.He used the town’s peace-and-order recognition to solid himself as a tough-talking anti-establishment baby-kisser to win the 2016 elections by means of a landslide.With fiery rhetoric, he rallied safety forces to shoot drug suspects useless. Greater than 6,000 suspects have been gunned down by means of police or unknown assailants all through the marketing campaign, however rights teams say the quantity may well be upper. A prior UN record discovered that almost all sufferers have been younger, deficient city men and that police, who should not have seek or arrest warrants to behavior area raids, systematically pressured suspects to make self-incriminating statements or possibility dealing with deadly pressure.Critics mentioned the marketing campaign focused street-level pushers and did not catch big-time drug lords. Many households additionally claimed that the sufferers – their sons, brothers or husbands – have been merely within the flawed position on the flawed time.Investigations in parliament pointed to a shadowy “demise squad” of bounty hunters concentrated on drug suspects. Duterte has denied the allegations of abuse.”Don’t query my insurance policies as a result of I be offering no apologies, no excuses. I did what I needed to do, and whether or not or no longer you imagine it… I did it for my nation,” Duterte informed a parliament investigation in October.”I hate tablets, make no mistake about it.”The ICC first took notice of the alleged abuses in 2016 and began its investigation in 2021. It coated instances from November 2011, when Duterte was once mayor of Davao, to March 2019, ahead of the Philippines withdrew from the ICC.Since taking energy, Marcos has scaled again Duterte’s anti-narcotics marketing campaign and promised a much less violent solution to the drug downside, however loads of drug-related killings were recorded all through his management. ‘Donald Trump of the East’Duterte stays extensively widespread within the Philippines as he’s the rustic’s first chief from Mindanao, a area south of Manila, the place many really feel marginalised by means of the leaders within the capital.He frequently speaks in Cebuano, the regional language, no longer Tagalog, which is extra widely-spoken in Manila and northerly areas.When he stepped down in 2022, just about 9 in 10 Filipinos mentioned they have been glad together with his efficiency as president – a rating unseen amongst his predecessors for the reason that recovery of democracy in 1986, in line with the Social Climate Stations analysis institute. His populist rhetoric and blunt statements earned him the moniker “Donald Trump of the East”. He has referred to as Russian President Vladimir Putin his “idol” and beneath his management, the Philippines’ pivoted their international coverage to China clear of the United States, its long-standing best friend.Marcos restored Manila’s ties with Washington and criticised the Duterte executive for being “Chinese language lackeys” because the Philippines is locked in sea dispute with China.China’s international ministry mentioned on Tuesday that it was once “intently tracking the improvement of the placement” and warned the ICC in opposition to “politicisation” and “double requirements” within the arrest of Duterte.Duterte’s daughter and political inheritor, Sara Duterte, is tipped as a possible presidential candidate in 2028. The incumbent, Marcos, is barred by means of the charter from in the hunt for re-election.Further reporting by means of Virma Simonette in Manila and Kelly Ng in Singapore

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