Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has arrived in the Netherlands to face trial before the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged crimes against humanity in connection with his administration’s bloody war on drugs.
Duterte landed at Rotterdam The Hague Airport at 11:54 p.m. (Philippine time) on Wednesday, March 12, after leaving the Philippines under tight security. His arrival was confirmed by ICC spokesman Fadi El Abdallah.
The journey follows his arrest a day earlier on March 11, when he was taken into custody at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport after arriving from Hong Kong. From there, he was transported to Villamor Air Base before departing for the Netherlands later that evening
Hours before his arrival in The Hague, Duterte addressed his supporters in a video posted on his Facebook page, where he sought to reassure them.
“Okay ako, do not worry,” he said, insisting that he was prepared to take responsibility for the controversial anti-drug campaign that defined his presidency.
“Sinasabi ko naman sa mga pulis at military na magtrabaho kayo at ako ang managot, so ito na nga,” he added, alluding to his longstanding vow to shield law enforcement from accountability for the thousands of deaths linked to his administration’s Oplan Tokhang.
His arrest provides a significant milestone in the years-long effort to hold him accountable for the brutal anti-drug campaign that, according to human rights groups, led to extrajudicial killings and systematic abuses. The ICC’s warrant, obtained by a national media, accuses Duterte of murder, torture, and rape—three of the 15 forms of crimes against humanity under the Rome Statute.
The ICC first turned its attention to Duterte in 2016, just months after he took office, when then-ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda announced a preliminary examination into the rising number of drug-related killings in the Philippines.
The investigation gained momentum despite the Duterte administration’s withdrawal from the Rome Statute in 2019, a move the ICC has repeatedly asserted does not absolve him of responsibility for crimes committed while the Philippines was still a signatory.
As the case moves forward, Duterte faces what could be a lengthy legal battle, with proceedings in The Hague expected to unfold over months or even years. While he remains defiant, the trial will test how far international justice can go in holding powerful leaders accountable.
