Philippines Duterte to have first court appearance in The Hague

THE HAGUE - Former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte was “abducted” before being taken to The Hague to face murder allegations and is too ill to give evidence, his lawyer told International Criminal Court (ICC) judges at his initial appearance on March 14.

Mr Duterte – who arrived in the Netherlands on a flight from Manila on March 12 after being arrested on an ICC warrant on charges of crimes against humanity – sounded frail as he spoke via video link from a detention unit, confirming his name and date of birth for the court.

Defence attorney Salvador Medialdea said that the former leader was too ill to say more, that Mr Duterte’s arrest and transfer to the Netherlands was “pure and simple kidnapping”, and that his client was suffering from “debilitating” medical issues.

Presiding Judge Iulia Antoanella Motoc responded that the court doctor, who examined Mr Duterte upon arrival, was of the opinion that he was “fully mentally aware and fit”.

Prosecutors have accused the 79-year-old of carrying out a systematic attack on the civilian population during his time in office.

Thousands of purported drug dealers and users were killed during the crackdown, when death squads he allegedly created and armed carried out widespread extrajudicial killings.

Mr Duterte arrived at Rotterdam airport on a chartered plane on March 12, and was transferred to a detention unit on the Dutch coast up the road from the ICC building. In a video message on social media, he took responsibility for his actions.

During the initial appearance, the judge summarised the allegations against Mr Duterte, who was not asked to enter a plea.

Mr Duterte, who led the Philippines from 2016 to 2022, is set to be the first Asian former head of state to go on trial at the ICC, a court