Ex-President Duterte flown to The Hague for ICC trial

Metro Manila, Philippines - The chartered flight that will bring former President Rodrigo Duterte to The Hague in Netherlands has left the Philippines on Tuesday, March 11 – the same day he was arrested by Philippine authorities for an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant over his controversial drug war policy.

Flight trackers showed the plane RP-C5219 carrying the former president left at 11:03 pm. The plane has a layover in Dubai.

In an Instagram post, Duterte’s youngest daughter Kitty also confirmed the takeoff.

Duterte’s lawyer, Martin Delgra, said the former president boarded the plane past 8 p.m.

The former president was arrested by Philippine authorities upon his return to Manila from a Hong Kong trip on Monday morning. He was whisked away to the Villamor Airbase before noon.

Vice President Sara Duterte, the former president’s daughter, said she will follow him to The Hague to discuss their next moves.

“Pupunta kami, ako, at pupunta yung mga abogado and doon kami mag-uusap kung ano ang gagawin,” she said.

[Translation: I’ll go there and the lawyers will fly there too and we’ll discuss our plans]

The vice president earlier lamented that sending her father to The Hague “shows the world that this government is willing to abandon its own citizen and betray the very essence of our sovereignty and national dignity”.

Duterte and his former police chief-turned-senator Bato dela Rosa have filed a petition before the Supreme Court to challenge the government’s cooperation with The Hague-based tribunal.

According to ICC Assistant to Counsel Kristina Conti, a person arrested under an ICC warrant should be flown to The Hague "as soon as possible."

The Palace earlier confirmed that the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) Manila received a copy of the ICC warrant before Duterte’s return from Hong Kong.

Prosecutor General Richard Fadullon served the arrest warrant at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport after Duterte arrived from Hong Kong past 9 a.m. Tuesday for a thanksgiving event.

Duterte has been under ICC investigation for his bloody drug war campaign during his presidential term. — with reports from NewsWatch Plus multiplatform producer Faith Ragasa

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