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CEBU CITY, Philippines — At the age of 79, then President Rodrigo Duterte would become the first former Asian leader to be tried before the International Criminal Court (ICC). Mr. Duterte traveled to The Hague in the Netherlands shortly after law enforcers in the country arrested and detained him at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) on Monday, March 11.
READ Rodrigo Duterte arrest not ‘political persecution,’ says Marcos Profile: Rodrigo Duterte earned international infamy, praise at home Rodrigo Duterte’s lawyers file petition at SC: ‘Bring him back to Manila’ The ICC charged the 16th President of the Philippines for committing crimes against humanity over his bloody campaign against illegal drugs. The ex-Davao City mayor and former prosecutor won the presidency in 2016. His slogan had been rooted on two promises: massive change and eradication of criminals, particularly those involved in the illicit drugs trade.
The war on drugs was the signature campaign platform that swept to power the mercurial crime-buster nicknamed “the punisher”, who soon delivered on promises he made during vitriolic speeches that thousands of drug pushers would be killed. Government recorded around 6,200 drug-related deaths since Mr. Duterte implemented his ‘war on drugs’ but experts, particularly human rights groups, believed the toll could reach 20,000.
Then on Monday, nearly a decade since it began, the ICC ordered the arrest of the former President, and to face trial in the Netherlands. This timeline details former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s ascent to power and the ongoing ICC investigation into his war on drugs. 2016: Duterte’s Election and the Start of the Drug War 2017: ICC Complaint Filed Against Duterte 2018: ICC Launches Preliminary Examination 2019: Philippine ICC Withdrawal Takes Effect 2020: Key Witness Withdraws Case 2021: ICC Authorizes Full Investigation 2022: ICC Resumes Probe Amid Duterte’s Exit 2023: ICC Investigation Reopens 2024: Key Testimonies Against Duterte 2025: ICC Arrest Warrant Looms Over Duterte Former President Duterte’s detention follows years of him rebuking and taunting the ICC in profanity-laden speeches since he unilaterally withdrew the Philippines from the court’s founding treaty in 2019 as it started looking into allegations of systematic murders of drug dealers on his watch.
The ICC, a court of last resort, says it has jurisdiction to investigate alleged crimes that took place while a country was a member. Duterte has long insisted he instructed police to kill only in self-defence and has always defended the crackdown, repeatedly telling his supporters he was ready to “rot in jail” if it meant ridding the Philippines of illicit drugs. Human rights groups and families of victims said Duterte’s arrest was a decisive step towards accountability for a brutal and chilling campaign that targeted the poorest of Filipinos.
/ with reports from Reuters..
