Philippines' ex-President Rodrigo Duterte flown to the Hague on ICC charges

Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte arrived at the Hague on Wednesday after being arrested in Manila the day before on the order of the International Criminal Court (ICC).

He is facing a charge of crimes against humanity linked to the deadly crackdown on drugs he oversaw while in office.

Police arrested Duterte at Manila's airport as he returned from a trip to Hong Kong, where he was put on a plane to Dubai. Flight tracking data showed that the jet waited for hours in Dubai before taking off for Rotterdam-The Hague airport.

Philippine media posted a picture showing what they say is Duterte on the plane en route to the Netherlands.

Upon arrival, Duterte is set to be taken to a Dutch prison in the Hague suburb of Scheveningen that contains a special UN prison complex, about 2 kilometres from the ICC.

Other prisoners who have stayed there include former Presidents Slobodan Milošević of Serbia and Charles Taylor of Liberia, as well as Bosnian Serb General Ratko Mladić.

Both protesters and supporters of the former Philippine president gathered in front of the ICC on Wednesday.

One protester, Alodiq Santos, acknowledged the pain for those affected by the ICC’s decision but said she believed it was the right thing to do.

“It's a very emotional experience for people. Politics has long been a patronage-like, personality-driven process in the country. And yeah, so we will, in the end of the day are all Filipino. So, it is hurting us. But we must stand firm to the principles that we all personally believe in," Santos said.

The ICC opened an inquiry in 2021 into mass killings linked to the so-called war on drugs overseen by Duterte when he served as mayor of the southern Philippine city of Davao and later as president.

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