Philippine VP visits former president detained at the ICC in the Hague
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The former president was detained over war crime allegations committed during his "war on drugs" campaign, which left over 30,000 people dead.
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Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte speaks during a senate inquiry on the so-called war on drugs during his administration at the Philippine Senate Monday, Oct. 28, 2024, in Manila, Philippines (AP)
Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte said on Saturday that she visited the former President and her father Rodrigo Duterte at the International Criminal Court detention center.
Speaking outside the ICC in The Hague, the Netherlands, VP Duterte said she met with the former president in an unspecified designated visiting area and did not see his detention location, adding that her father appeared to be well-rested and had been spending his time sleeping and watching TV.
This comes as the former president faces charges of war crimes at the ICC committed by his police force during their national crackdown on the drug trade.
Former Philippines president detained for war crimes
Former President of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte appeared at the International Criminal Court (ICC) for the first time on March 14, facing crimes against humanity charges linked to his deadly "war on drugs" and addressing the accusations brought against him.
The 79-year-old former Philippine president was accused of crimes against humanity, specifically murder, for his anti-drug campaign, which rights groups claimed led to tens of thousands of deaths.
Upon landing in The Hague, the former leader appeared calm and seemingly accepted responsibility for his actions, stating in a Facebook video that he had been telling the police and the military it was his job and he was responsible.
The former President was previously detained on March 11 over an International Criminal Court warrant over his deadly "war on drugs", which left around 30,000 poverty-stricken urban people dead, when he arrived at the Manila airport from Hong Kong.
Elected in 2016, he vowed a brutal anti-drug campaign, once claiming bodies would pile up in Manila Bay, and since then, an estimated 12,000 to 30,000 civilians were killed in anti-drug operations, according to ICC data, while police often justified the killings as self-defense but rights groups accused them of planting evidence and manipulating postmortem reports.
Philippines leadership sees changes
Despite international outrage, Duterte remained popular throughout his presidency. His daughter, Sara Duterte, is now vice president, although the House of Representatives voted to impeach her following accusations of corruption, misuse of public funds, and threatening to assassinate the president of the Philippines.
At a 2024 Senate inquiry, Duterte defended his actions, insisting he acted for the country’s good. He admitted ordering police to provoke resistance from suspects but denied sanctioning executions and claimed to have led a "death squad" as Davao mayor.
His former legal counsel, Salvador Panelo, called Duterte’s arrest unlawful, alleging that police blocked his lawyer at the airport.
The ICC’s probe covers killings from 2011 to 2019, including extrajudicial deaths in Davao and nationwide during Duterte’s presidency. Human rights groups hailed his arrest as a crucial step toward justice.
President Marcos, initially opposed to ICC involvement, has since shifted his stance amid growing tensions with the Duterte camp ahead of midterm elections. His administration now says it will cooperate if international police intervene.
