Duterte appears by video link before ICC judges in The Hague
The former president of the Philippines is appearing before the court over his deadly war on drugs.
Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has appeared by video link before judges at the International Criminal Court in The Hague.
The appearance comes days after his arrest in Manila on murder charges linked to the deadly “war on drugs” he oversaw while in office.
The 79-year-old Duterte did not show up at the court in The Hague, but he appeared briefly on a video screen from the detention centre nearby where he is being held.
Presiding Judge Iulia Antoanella Motoc explained that Duterte had been allowed to participate in his first ICC hearing by videoconference because he had just come off a long flight.
Duterte, wearing a jacket and tie, spoke briefly to confirm his name and date of birth.
The former president was to be read his rights and formally informed of the charges of crimes against humanity that the court’s prosecutors filed against him after a lengthy investigation.
His supporters contest the arrest and say the court does not have jurisdiction.
Estimates of the death toll during Duterte’s presidential term vary, from the more than 6,000 that the national police have reported and up to 30,000, according to numbers from human rights groups.
The court is expected to set a date for a key pretrial hearing – likely months from now – at which judges will assess whether there is enough evidence to proceed to a full trial, which could take years.
If Duterte is convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
His daughter, Philippine vice president Sara Duterte, met supporters outside the court on Friday, and said that she was seeking to visit her father and to have the hearing moved.
Ms Duterte is a political rival of the current President.
She said: “Well, our expectation is that … they will give us permission to visit the former president, and (the) other one is we hope that they will allow our request to move the initial appearance.”
Rodrigo Duterte was arrested on Tuesday amid chaotic scenes in the Philippine capital after returning from a visit to Hong Kong.
He was swiftly put on a chartered jet and flown to the Netherlands.
After a series of medical checks on arrival, he was taken to the court’s detention centre, located behind the high brick walls of a Dutch prison complex close to the North Sea coastline.
Duterte’s supporters outside the court chanted: “Send him back! Send him back!” as they waited for his arrival.
Activists marched in the Philippine capital region, demanding justice for the thousands of suspects killed in Duterte’s brutal crackdowns.
Other groups set up large screens to allow families of suspects killed in the crackdowns to watch the ICC proceedings.
