Former Philippines President en route to The Hague to face ICC trail

Manila: Former Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte is being taken to face the International Criminal Court (ICC) at The Hague, Netherlands, on charges of crimes against humanity, local media reported on Wednesday.

He was arrested under a warrant issued on orders of the ICC at Manila airport on Tuesday morning upon his arrival from Hong Kong. He is facing charges before the ICC for his role in alleged extrajudicial killings committed during his administration’s war on drugs.

Human rights groups estimate that more than 30,000 people were killed during the drug war, many of them were accused without evidence and executed without trial.

Philippines Senate President Francis Escudero on Wednesday commended law enforcement, legal representatives, and supporters for the orderly and incident-free serving of the arrest warrant from ICC against former President Duterte.

In a statement, Escudero highlighted the country’s commitment to international agreements, calling the warrant’s execution a testament to the “maturity, civility, calm, and professionalism” displayed by all parties involved, according to the state-run Philippine News Agency.

“As this legal process unfolds, we expect the ICC to respect the rights of former President Duterte and to ensure that he is afforded due process in accordance with the Rule of Law,” he said.

Philippines President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Tuesday stated that the Philippine government followed all the legal procedures in the arrest of Duterte.

Addressing a press conference, Marcos said, “We followed all the legal procedures that are necessary. I am confident that in further examination, you will find that it is proper and correct,” adding that there is a “very good basis” to serve the ICC’s arrest warrant against Duterte.

Marcos denied that Duterte’s arrest was unlawful, stating that the Philippine government was “merely complying with the International Criminal Police Organisation’s (Interpol) request to enforce the ICC order.”

The ICC issued the arrest warrant last week against Duterte to ensure his appearance before the tribunal in connection with its investigation of his bloody war on drugs.

The chamber is investigating Duterte for alleged crimes against humanity over the deaths linked to his war on drugs when he was mayor of Davao City and later as President of the Philippines, according to media reports.

Meanwhile, the chamber also maintained that, despite the Philippines’ withdrawal from the ICC on March 17, 2019, it still retains jurisdiction over the alleged crimes that occurred while the Philippines was still a state party to the Rome Statute, specifically from November 1, 2011, to March 16, 2019.

–IANS