The Hague, Netherlands—Former President Rodrigo Duterte was detained at the Scheveningen Prison in The Hague, where he will be held before his court proceedings at the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Duterte, 79, was driven to the detention center at 7:34 p.m. local time (2:34 a.m. Philippine time) in a black SUV. His supporters began arriving outside the jail, shouting slogans like “We love Duterte” and “Bring him back” as soon as his convoy reached the compound.
The ousted leader was taken to the ICC on Wednesday at 4:54 p.m. from an aircraft arriving at Rotterdam The Hague Airport (11:54 p.m. Philippine time). In a statement, the court announced his surrender: Mr Rodrigo Roa Duterte… was surrendered to the custody of the International Criminal Court,” the ICC said.
Duterte is to make his first court appearance sometime soon before an ICC judge. He was taken to a detention center near the Dutch coast.
Duterte’s Pre-Arrival Statement
There is a mixture of English and Tagalog in the video he sent to his devotees on Facebook right before stepping into the Netherlands. He introduced himself in connection with his law enforcement activities.
“I think this has something to do with law and order before. I tell the police and the military to work and I will answer for you. So this is it,” Duterte said in a video as he was “about to land.”
“Okay, ako. Do not worry,” he said.
Duterte’s flight had a stopover in Dubai before proceeding to the Netherlands.
Meanwhile, the Philippine Embassy in The Hague verified that it is granting consular support to Duterte while he awaits legal proceedings at the ICC.
The trial would mark a watershed moment for global justice as the former president accounts for the thousands of deaths attributed to his government’s war on drugs.
