Rodrigo Duterte faces murder charges at ICC in The Hague

Former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte appeared at the International Criminal Court in The Hague after his arrest in Manila on murder charges related to his "war on drugs." His lawyer called the arrest a "kidnapping," claiming Duterte was denied legal recourse. Duterte, who appeared via video link, is accused of overseeing thousands of killings during his presidency. The court set a pretrial hearing for September 23 to assess the strength of the prosecution's evidence. If convicted, he could face life imprisonment. Activists in Manila demanded justice for victims of Duterte's crackdown, while his supporters criticized the government's actions. The ICC maintains jurisdiction over the case, as the alleged crimes occurred before the Philippines withdrew from the court in 2019.