Duterte admitted to detention center – ICC spokesperson

Metro Manila, Philippines – Former President Rodrigo Duterte has been admitted to the International Criminal Court (ICC) detention center in Scheveningen, The Hague, Netherlands.

"He was admitted today following all medical checks," ICC spokesperson Fadi El Abdallah told the media on Thursday, March 13.

The court said standard procedures are in place to ensure the well-being of arrested suspects under ICC custody.

"The court will announce in due course the schedule for the initial appearance," the ICC added. It also urged all parties to respect the integrity of the judicial process.

Former Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea attempted to visit Duterte at the detention facility. He said Vice President Sara Duterte is waiting for an opportunity to visit her father in detention.

The Philippine embassy in the Netherlands confirmed that a 15-day visa was issued to Medialdea as Duterte's counsel, granting him permission to visit the former president on Thursday.

Duterte was “surrendered” to ICC custody “in accordance with an arrest warrant issued by Pre-Trial Chamber I for charges of murder as a crime against humanity.” The former president is the first Asian leader to stand trial at the ICC.

The ICC probe includes Duterte’s alleged involvement in extrajudicial killings through the so-called Davao Death Squad, which began during his tenure as Davao City mayor and continued in the early years of his presidency.

According to human rights organizations, the death toll from Duterte's drug war has reached around 30,000.