ROTTERDAM: Former Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte said he was prepared to accept responsibility as the International Criminal Court took him into custody on Wednesday (Mar 12) to face charges over his war on drugs.
The ICC, based in The Hague, believes there are “reasonable grounds” to charge Duterte with murder as a crime against humanity, as an “indirect co-perpetrator” during the anti-drug campaign that rights groups estimate killed tens of thousands.
“I am the one who led our law enforcement and military. I said that I will protect you and I will be responsible for all of this,” Duterte said in a video posted to his and a close advisor’s Facebook pages.
“I have been telling the police, the military, that it was my job and I am responsible,” said the 79-year-old, the first Asian former head of state to appear before the ICC.
A spokesman confirmed Duterte was in court custody after he arrived in Rotterdam by private jet.
A vehicle thought to be carrying Duterte drove into the ICC detention centre in The Hague past a crowd of dozens of supporters, some shouting: “Bring him back” and waving national flags.
“There has been no due process,” said caregiver Duds Quibin, 50. “This is kidnapping. They just put him on a plane and brought him here,” he told AFP.
The centre, located close to the North Sea coast, offers each prisoner an individual cell equipped with a computer to work on their case, along with an outdoor exercise area.
Duterte will be held there until an initial court appearance, likely in the coming days.
Speaking to AFP outside the ICC, Gilbert Andres, a lawyer representing victims of the drug war, said: “My clients are very thankful to God because their prayers have been answered.”
“The arrest of Rodrigo Duterte is a great signal for international criminal justice. It means that no one is above the law,” Andres added.
The war on drugs was the signature campaign platform that swept the mercurial Duterte to power in 2016. During his six years in office, 6,200 suspects were killed during anti-drug operations, by the police’s count.
Activists say the real toll was far greater, with many thousands more slum drug users, some of whom were on community “watch lists” after they signed up for treatment, gunned down in mysterious circumstances.
