Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was "abducted" and illegally taken to The Hague to face murder charges, his lawyer told International Criminal Court judges during his initial appearance on Friday. The 79-year-old Duterte, accused of crimes against humanity over his deadly "war on drugs," appeared frail as he confirmed his name and date of birth via video link from a detention unit near the court.
Defense attorney Salvador Medialdea claimed Duterte was too ill to contribute to the hearing, stating that his arrest and extradition from Manila to the Netherlands amounted to "pure and simple kidnapping." Medialdea argued that Duterte suffers from "debilitating" medical issues, making him unfit for trial.
Presiding Judge Iulia Motoc, however, dismissed the health concerns, saying that a court-appointed doctor had assessed Duterte as "fully mentally aware and fit" to stand trial. Despite his lawyer's protests, the court confirmed that proceedings would continue as scheduled.
Motoc scheduled a pretrial hearing for Sept. 23 to determine whether the prosecution's evidence is sufficient to proceed to trial. If the case moves forward, the trial could last for years, and a conviction could result in a maximum sentence of life imprisonment for Duterte.
A landmark trial in the making
At The Hague, the former Philippine leader is accused of "charges of the crime of murder as a crime against humanity" for his multi-year, deadly campaign against suspected drug dealers and users in the Philippines. Official police data in the Philippines show over 6,000 people were killed in Duterte's drugs war, but human rights groups say his deadly crackdown may have left as many as 30,000 dead.
Duterte's arrest this week sent shockwaves through the Philippines, deepening the rift between the country's most powerful political dynasties, the Duterte and Marcos families. Human rights organizations hailed his arrest as a step toward justice, while his supporters continue to portray him as a leader who brought safety and progress to the Philippines.
On Friday, as Duterte appeared at the ICC, his supporters gathered outside The Hague Penitentiary Institution, waving flags and holding banners reading "We stand with Duterte." Meanwhile, Sara Duterte, the Philippine vice president and former leader's daughter, condemned her father's arrest as a "violation of Philippine sovereignty" in a social media post.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who helped facilitate Duterte's extradition, defended his decision in a televised address, saying: "This is what the international community expects of us." Ties between the two families — allies in the 2022 elections that brought Marcos Jr. and Sara Duterte to the presidency and vice presidency — have since fractured, with their feud playing out in public.
Duterte's case is set to make history. It is the first trial of an Asian former head of state at the ICC. The investigation covers alleged extrajudicial killings from 2011 to 2019, including his time as mayor of Davao City, where he allegedly ran a "death squad" targeting drug suspects.
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