Former President Rodrigo Duterte appeared to be accepting his "destiny" after the International Criminal Court (ICC) pushed for his arrest in the Philippines over his bloody war on drugs campaign during his term.
In a Facebook Live early Thursday (Manila time), Duterte provided an update on his current situation while en route to The Hague, Netherlands, after a layover in Dubai.
"It's a long flight. Okay ako, do not worry. I think this has something to do with law and order," the former president said.
Duterte then affirmed his responsibility for the actions of the police and military during his six-year leadership.
"Sinasabi ko naman sa mga pulis, military na trabaho ko 'yon at ako ang managot, so ito na nga. So all of whatever happened in the past, ako na yung nagfront sa ating law enforcement pati military," Duterte stated.
"Sinabi ko na I will protect you, sinabi ko ako ang managot sa lahat. This will be a long legal process, but I say to you, I will continue to serve my country. So be it, kung ganon ang destiny ko," he added.
Duterte was arrested on Tuesday upon his arrival from Hong Kong at NAIA Terminal 3.
The ICC issued the arrest warrant, citing crimes against humanity including murder, torture, and rape during his term as president and as the mayor of Davao City, where he was allegedly the head of the Davao Death Squad (DDS).
"The Chamber found that there was an attack directed against a civilian population pursuant to an organisational policy while Mr. Duterte was the head of the Davao Death Squad (DDS), and pursuant to a State policy while he was the President of the Philippines," the ICC said in an official statement.
"Moreover, there are reasonable grounds to believe that this attack was both widespread and systematic: the alleged attack took place over a period of several years and resulted in thousands of deaths. In the arrest warrant, the Chamber focused on a sample of alleged incidents to facilitate its analysis," it added.
The ICC stated that a hearing would be scheduled in due course for Duterte’s initial appearance before the Court.
Later, after his Facebook Live, Duterte arrived at The Hague and was reported to be in the hands of the ICC.
Several Filipino supporters of Duterte gathered in front of Scheveningen Prison, waiting for his arrival. They called on the chamber to bring the former president back to his country.
'WE STAND WITH DUTERTE'
— DZRH NEWS (@dzrhnews) March 12, 2025
LOOK: Nagtipon-tipon ang mga taga-suporta ni Dating Pang. Rodrigo Duterte habang naghihintay sa kaniyang pagdating sa Scheveningen Prison sa The Hague, Netherlands. | DZRH News
📸: @Reuters pic.twitter.com/DIwNsli3Z0
