A plane carrying former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte departed Manila on Tuesday night, bound for The Hague, where he is set to face charges at the International Criminal Court (ICC). Duterte was arrested, and accused of crimes against humanity over his deadly war on drugs.
At 11.03 pm Tuesday, Duterte’s plane took off from Manila and exited Philippine airspace, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. confirmed. Flight tracking data showed the aircraft was scheduled to make a stop in Dubai before continuing to Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
Duterte is now set to be turned over to ICC authorities in The Hague, where he will face trial for crimes against humanity. His legal team continues to challenge the move.
The ICC confirmed it had issued an arrest warrant against Duterte over alleged crimes against humanity during his deadly war on drugs. “Once a suspect is in ICC custody, an initial appearance hearing will be scheduled,” said ICC spokesman Fadi Abdullah.
Duterte arrested upon return from Hong Kong
Duterte was taken into custody at Manila’s international airport on Tuesday morning after returning from a brief trip to Hong Kong with his family. Authorities arrested him on an ICC warrant, which alleges that his anti-drug campaign—carried out both as mayor of Davao City and later as president—led to widespread extrajudicial killings. Estimates of the death toll range from the 6,000 reported by Philippine police to as many as 30,000, according to human rights groups.
Duterte appeared visibly irritated as he questioned the legality of his detention. “Show to me now the legal basis for my being here,” he said in a video posted on social media by his daughter, Veronica Duterte. His legal team swiftly petitioned the Supreme Court to block any move to send him to The Hague, arguing that the Philippines is no longer a member of the ICC.
ICC investigation and Duterte’s defence
The ICC’s warrant, issued on March 7, states that there are “reasonable grounds to believe” Duterte was responsible for crimes against humanity, with the killings described as “both widespread and systematic.” It argued that his arrest was necessary to ensure he appeared before the court, citing concerns that he might obstruct investigations or influence witnesses.
Duterte pulled the Philippines out of the ICC in 2019 and has repeatedly dismissed the tribunal’s authority. Speaking in Hong Kong just days before his arrest, he called ICC investigators “sons of whores” but insisted he would “accept it” if detained.
The Marcos administration, which has distanced itself from Duterte’s policies, previously stated it would not cooperate with the ICC’s investigation. However, Undersecretary of the Presidential Communications Office Claire Castro acknowledged that if Interpol requested assistance, the government would be “obliged to follow.”