Duterte to face ICC for drug war execution charges

Former Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte is set to appear at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague for his first hearing on Friday. He faces accusations of overseeing nearly 4,000 executions during his controversial war on drugs. Duterte was arrested at Manila's airport earlier this week and is the first Asian former head of state to be tried by the ICC. His arrest follows years of defiance against the court, which began investigating him in 2011. The ICC has ruled that its investigation can proceed despite Duterte's withdrawal from the court's founding treaty in 2019. The court will inform him of the charges and his rights during the hearing.