Philippine ex-president Duterte is heading to The Hague to face ICC charges linked to ‘war on drugs’

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was being flown to the Netherlands on Wednesday to face an International Criminal Court charge of crimes against humanity linked to the deadly crackdown on drugs he oversaw while in office.

The 79-year-old Duterte’s arrest Tuesday on a warrant issued by the global court was hailed by human rights groups and families of victims as a major breakthrough and step toward ending impunity.

Flight tracking data showed that after leaving Manila, the jet carrying Duterte waited for hours in Dubai before taking off again, apparently headed for Rotterdam The Hague Airport. The court didn’t immediately comment on the flight, but Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said Tuesday that police arrested Duterte when he returned from a trip to Hong Kong and sent him to the ICC.

When he arrives in the Netherlands, he will be taken to the court’s detention unit inside a Dutch prison complex near the North Sea coast.

Rights groups and families of victims welcomed the arrest.

“This is a monumental and long-overdue step for justice for thousands of victims and their families,” said Jerrie Abella of Amnesty International.

“It is therefore a hopeful sign for them, as well, in the Philippines and beyond, as it shows that suspected perpetrators of the worst crimes, including government leaders, will face justice wherever they are in the world,” Abella added.

Emily Soriano, the mother of a victim of the crackdowns, said she wanted more officials to face justice.

“Duterte is lucky he has due process, but our children who were killed did not have due process,” she said.

Duterte’s supporters, however, criticized his arrest as illegal and sought to have him returned home. Small