Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s first appearance before the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) is scheduled for Friday, the court’s website said.
The Hague-based court said on its website:
“During the preliminary hearing, the judges will confirm the suspect’s identity and determine the language in which he will be able to follow the proceedings. He will be informed of the charges against him and his rights under the Rome Statute of the ICC.”
The ICC prosecutor’s office applied for the arrest warrant on February 10. The judges believe the attacks on civilians were carried out while Duterte was leading a so-called death squad, a civilian armed group that helped the authorities crack down on drug traffickers.
Also, according to the ICC, the former president was involved in murder, torture and rape from 2011 to 2019. These crimes led to the deaths of thousands of people. He held the presidential post from 2016 to 2022.
Rodrigo Duterte, 79, was detained on March 11 at Manila airport after returning from Hong Kong. His lawyer Salvador Panelo called the arrest illegal, recalling that the Philippines withdrew from the ICC in 2019 at the initiative of Mr Duterte himself. A hearing will be held soon to inform the former president of the charges and his rights under the Rome Statute, the ICC’s main document.
