Former Philippine President Duterte handed over to ICC after arriving in the Netherlands

Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was handed over to the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Wednesday, the court in The Hague confirmed. The court will soon schedule an initial appearance in which the allegations against Duterte will be outlined, and his identity will be confirmed.

The ICC issued the statement less than 90 minutes after an airplane carrying Duterte landed at Rotterdam The Hague Airport. The 79-year-old was arrested on Tuesday in the Philippines and was put on the plane, which left the capital of Manila just after 4 p.m. Dutch time on Tuesday. The flight made an unscheduled stop in Dubai where the aircraft was delayed while Duterte was given a medical evaluation.

After landing in Rotterdam, the plane was driven into a hangar where those on the flight were met by an ambulance and two coaches. A stretcher was also prepared and standing by. The state of Duterte’s health was not made clear.

The former president is suspected of crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague. It concerns 43 murders carried between November 1, 2011 and March 16, 2019. The accusations against Duterte are related to the war on drugs he waged as the Mayor of Davao City and then as president. Tens of thousands of people lost their lives as a result.

It is not yet known when Duterte will appear before the ICC. He is expected to first be taken to the PI Haaglanden penitentiary in Scheveningen, where the ICC has a detention center operated by the United Nations. The first hearing will be scheduled once Duterte is in custody.

The ICC prosecutor announced the drug war investigation in 2018 when the Philippines was a member of the court, but Duterte withdrew the Philippines from the ICC in 2019. The ICC alleges that it has jurisdiction to investigate accusations of crimes that occurred while a country was a member.

Over 100 of Duterte’s supporters have gathered at the PI Haaglanden penitentiary in Scheveningen, where he is expected to arrive in the early hours of Wednesday evening. They are there in support of Duterte.

Some are holding banners which read “We stand with Duterte” and “We love you!!! Tatay Digong,” which is a nickname for Duterte. Demonstrators are holding Philippines flags. There are also several journalists at the prison.

Many people at the penitentiary have come from Belgium or other areas of the Netherlands and have a connection with the Philippines. One of the attendees said that he drove from Belgium to The Hague to show support for the ex-president. Other attendees have said that they don't think the trial is fair. The police are monitoring the demonstration and are present with several vans and cars.