Duterte appears in court facing murder charges

Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte appeared via video link at the International Criminal Court after his recent arrest in Manila on murder charges related to his "war on drugs." His lawyer described the arrest as "pure and simple kidnapping." Duterte, who is being held in a detention center, participated in the hearing while wearing a jacket and tie. The presiding judge scheduled a pretrial hearing for September 23 to assess the strength of the prosecution's evidence. Duterte faces accusations of involvement in multiple murders, which prosecutors claim amount to crimes against humanity. His legal team argues that the Philippines, having withdrawn from the ICC, should not have allowed his extradition.