The lawyer for former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte demanded that the former leader’s bloody “drug war” victims be repatriated and that they would be returned to Manila in a petition filed before the Supreme Court.
Duterte, who flew to the Hague Tuesday night and faced charges of crimes against humanity in connection with anti-drug crackdown, is the first former Asian leader to serve as an arrest warrant filed by the ICC. Activists say up to 30,000 people have been killed in the “drug war.”
Duterte’s lawyer filed a petition on behalf of his youngest daughter Veronica, accusing the government of “annoying” and demanding it to retrieve him.
The Duterte plane is scheduled to land in the Netherlands at 10:59 local time. His eldest son, Sarah, was also vice president, and left for Amsterdam on Wednesday morning to help him prepare legally.
Carlos Conde, a senior researcher in the Asian Human Rights Watch division, said the development was historic and it was an understatement to say that the victim felt that he had eclipsed his arrest. “This is completely unprecedented in the history of this country, not just for this country, but for Southeast Asia and Asia,” he said.
“The spirits (of the victims) are on fire. They are very optimistic and very optimistic that this is something that can move quickly in the Hague,” Conde said. “The victims here in the Philippines have lost almost their faith in the national judicial system, which is why they fixed their hopes to the ICC.”
An ICC spokesman confirmed the warrants on Tuesday and said the first appearance hearing will be scheduled when Duterte is taken into court custody.
The trial timeline is unknown, but campaigners are calling for a process that will be launched quickly.
The coalition of national lawyers representing the families of the victims of the murder said that the “sadness of the victims of loss” was “covered with Joy and hope” that day.
Duterte’s arrest is a symbol of “the poor and marginalized victory similar to that of David and Goliath,” and the lawyers group added, adding, “We still need to work and work for his ultimate belief.”
“What’s going on, and there’s a simple joy in Ahrelief,” said brother Jun Santiago, who founded Siringan Coffee, a small coffee shop that helps give jobs to families of victims of extrajudicial killings, and provides space to commemorate their stories.
On Tuesday, the cafe offered discounted drinks to its customers, encouraging people to visit and learn about the abuse committed under the Duterte government.
Duterte’s arrest has been widely praised among human rights groups, with the Philippine Rights Alliance Karapatan describing the development as a “long period.”
Duterte’s supporters argued that when the Philippines withdrew from Roman law in 2019, the ICC no longer had jurisdiction. However, the ICC has previously said it has jurisdiction over alleged crimes that occurred within the country prior to its withdrawal.
President Ferdinand Marcos said the arrest came at the request of the ICC. “I am sure the arrest was appropriate and correct and followed all necessary legal procedures,” he told the media after Duterte departed Tuesday night. “We never helped the International Criminal Court. The arrests were made in accordance with Interpol.”
