AXIOS
Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is now in the custody of the International Criminal Court following his arrest in Manila in connection with his deadly war on drugs during his presidency, the ICC confirmed Wednesday.
The big picture: The ICC Office of the Prosecutor alleged in a statement “there are reasonable grounds to believe that Mr Duterte bears criminal responsibility for the crime against humanity of murder” for the drugs crackdown.
The ICC began its investigation in 2021 after thousands of people were killed in police drug operations in the Philippines.
Duterte is alleged to have committed the crimes from November 2011 through March 2019 “as part of a widespread and systematic attack directed against the civilian population,” per the statement.
The Office of the Prosecutor alleges that Duterte, as founder and head of the “Davao Death Squad,” then mayor of Davao City and subsequently as the president of the Philippines, “is criminally responsible for the crime against humanity.”
The Office of the Prosecutor called the transfer of Duterte to the Netherlands, where he could face trial in the Hague, “a crucial step in our continuous work to ensure accountability for the victims of the most serious crimes under ICC jurisdiction.”
Connect with us on our socials: