Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte appeared before judges at the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Friday via videoconference, days after his arrest in Manila on murder charges linked to the deadly “war on drugs” he oversaw while in office.
Duterte, 79, did not attend the court in The Hague but joined from a detention center about a mile away where he is being held. His lawyer said Duterte’s arrest was a “pure and simple kidnapping,” claiming he was denied access to legal recourse in his home country.
The ICC set a pretrial hearing date of September 23 to determine if prosecution evidence is strong enough to send the case to trial. If convicted, Duterte faces life imprisonment.
Estimates of deaths during his term vary from over 6,000 to 30,000, with human rights groups questioning his involvement in extrajudicial killings.
Duterte’s daughter, Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte, met supporters outside court before visiting her father and has expressed opposition to the arrest. The arrest has sparked controversy, with activists demanding justice for those killed during his crackdowns.
Prosecutors accuse Duterte of indirect co-perpetration in multiple murders, amounting to a crime against humanity. They claim he issued orders to police and “hitmen” that led to killings from 2011 to 2019.
Human rights groups have hailed the arrest as a historic triumph against state impunity, while others dispute the ICC’s jurisdiction over the Philippines. The ICC judges who issued his arrest warrant say the alleged crimes happened before the Philippines withdrew from the global court.
Source: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/former-philippine-president-duterte-appears-before-international-court-judges-in-the-hague-by-video