San Francisco Frontiers - Plane thought to transport Duterte to ICC arrives in Netherlands

The ICC, based in The Hague, said there were "reasonable grounds" to believe Duterte committed the crime against humanity of murder as an "indirect co-perpetrator" during the anti-drug campaign that rights groups estimate killed tens of thousands.

The 79-year-old is the first Asian former head of state to face charges at the ICC, which rules on the world's worst crimes, including war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.

Once in ICC custody, Duterte will be taken to a detention centre before an initial appearance likely to be scheduled in the coming days.

The centre, located close to the North Sea coast, offers each prisoner an individual cell equipped with a computer to work on their case, along with an outdoor exercise area.

Speaking to AFP outside the ICC, Gilbert Andres, a lawyer representing victims of the drug war, said: "My clients are very thankful to God because their prayers have been answered."

"The arrest of Rodrigo Duterte is a great signal for international criminal justice. It means that no one is above the law... There will be a day of justice for everyone... even powerful men such as Rodrigo Duterte," Andres added.

But others came out to support the former leader.

Dozens of pro-Duterte protesters gathered in front of the detention centre, unfurling a banner reading: "We are with Duterte" and waving flags.

"There has been no due process," said caregiver Duds Quibin, 50. "This is kidnapping. They just put him on a plane and brought him here."

- 'Oppression and persecution' -

Earlier Wednesday, lawyers filed a petition to the Supreme Court in the Philippines accusing the government of "kidnapping" Duterte and demanding it "bring him back".

"The ICC can only exercise its jurisdiction if a country's national legal system is not functioning," lawyer Salvador Paolo Panelo Jr. told reporters outside the court, insisting the Philippines' judicial system was "working properly".

Before her father's departure, Vice President Sara Duterte said he was being "forcibly taken to The Hague", labelling the transfer "oppression and persecution".

A one-time alliance between President Ferdinand Marcos and the Duterte family has exploded spectacularly since the 2022 presidential election, when Sara Duterte ran as vice president on his ticket.

She is currently facing a Senate trial on a number of charges, including corruption and an alleged assassination plot against Marcos.

Duterte himself had earlier taken to social media, claiming the Supreme Court would step in and prevent his transfer.

"What is the crime that I committed? Show to me now the legal basis of my being here," he said on Instagram live.

- 'Rotting at the cemetery' -

At a church in the capital Manila, people whose family members were killed in the "drug war" welcomed the arrest.

"Duterte is fortunate, there's due process for him," Emily Soriano said of her son Angelito, at a press briefing organised by a local rights group.

"There was no due process for my son. He will be lying down on a good bed, my son is already rotting at the cemetery."

For Bryony Lau, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch, Duterte's arrest marked "a critical step for accountability in the Philippines."

China, however, warned the ICC against "politicisation" and "double standards" in the Duterte case, saying it was "closely monitoring" it.

The high-profile case came with the ICC currently under sanctions from Donald Trump.

The US president is unhappy at the court issuing an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over alleged crimes committed during the Gaza war.

- 'Davao Death Squad' -

The Philippines quit the ICC in 2019 on Duterte's instructions.

But the tribunal claims jurisdiction over killings up to then, including ones in the southern city of Davao when Duterte was mayor.

The ICC said in its arrest warrant there were "reasonable grounds to believe" at least 19 people had been murdered in Davao by members of the "Davao Death Squad", headed by Duterte.

Additionally, at least 24 were killed by Philippines police in various locations, judges believe.

On Sunday, Duterte lashed out at the ICC probe, labelling ICC investigators "sons of whores" while saying he would "accept" an arrest.

Duterte is still hugely popular among many who supported his quick-fix solutions to crime, and he remains a potent political force.

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V.Mitchell--SFF