Rodrigo Duterte is scheduled to make his first appearance at the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Friday as the former Philippine president faces crimes against humanity against the fatal “war on drugs.”
court In a statement later Thursday, Duterte said he “thought it was appropriate” on Friday at 2pm (1pm GMT).
At the hearing, the 79-year-old is informed of the crime he allegedly committed and his rights as a defendant.
Duterte has been accused of murderous humanitarian crimes in his long-standing campaign against drug users and dealers who said rights groups had killed tens of thousands of people.
When he landed in The Hague, the former leader appeared to accept responsibility for his actions, he said in a Facebook video, “I've been saying that I'm the police, that's my job and I'm responsible.”
It was a sharp contrast to the details of the 12-hour chaotic standoff regarding his arrest in Manila on Tuesday. Duterte threatened the police general in the lawsuit, refused to squeeze his fingerprints, and told him, “You have to kill me to take me to the Hague.”
The standoff occurred at an air force base in the Philippines before he and other police officers managed to take the former leader to a government-characteristic jet that took him to the Netherlands.
Torre described the conflict as “very tense,” and said Duterte refused to make a fingerprint.
Duterte's legal team objected to his arrest, saying that Philippine authorities did not show a copy of the ICC warrant and violated their constitutional rights.
The arrest also previously joined forces to run the Philippines amid a breakdown in relations between his family and the Marcos family.
Current President Ferdinand Marcos and Vice President Sarah Duterte (the daughter of Rodrigo) are in Logger Heads.
Sarah Duterte is in the Netherlands to support her father after labelling the arrest “oppression and persecution.”
However, the victims of the “Drug War” hope that Duterte will ultimately face justice on his alleged crime.
The famous Duterte incident comes at a critical moment for the ICC as it faces unprecedented pressure from all sides, including US sanctions.
In February, US President Donald Trump imposed sanctions on the court for what he said was “unfounded action targeting the US and our close ally, Israel.”
The ICC has issued arrest warrants to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Minister of Defense Joab Gallant on suspicion of war crimes and crimes against humanity during the Gaza War.
Prosecutor Karim Khan welcomed Duterte's arrest as a key moment for the victims and international justice as a whole.
“Many people say that international law is not as strong as we want, and I agree. But as I have stressed repeatedly, international law is not as weak as some might think,” Khan said in a statement after Duterte arrived in ICC detention.
“When we come together… when we build a partnership, the rule of law wins. We can execute a warrant,” he said.
At the first hearing, in accordance with ICC rules, suspects can request a pending interim release of trial. Following that initial hearing, the next step is a session to confirm the charges, at which point the suspect can challenge the prosecutor's evidence.
Only after that hearing will the court decide whether to push up the trial first, a process that could take months or years.
“It's important to emphasize that Duterte is seen as innocent as we are now starting a new phase of the lawsuit,” Khan said.
Associated Press and Agence France-Presse
