Duterte Appears in Person at ICC for First Time
The Facts
- Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte appeared in person at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, the Netherlands on Wednesday for the first time since his transfer there 18 months ago, where he faces charges of crimes against humanity.
- Duterte, 81, wore a dark suit and white shirt and did not speak during the hearing, which lasted one hour and 15 minutes. He sipped water, followed proceedings through headphones and waved to family members in the public gallery at the end.
- Presiding Judge Joanna Korner noted it was Duterte's first appearance in the courtroom and told him he could leave at any time without asking the bench for permission. Korner has set Nov. 30 as the start date of the trial.
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The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
Do not let the frail act fool you — Duterte was behind horrific crimes in the Philippines, and the ICC will step up when domestic courts refuse to act. Philippine prosecutors had every legal tool to try him for thousands of drug war killings and did nothing for years, so an international court stepping in is exactly how the system is supposed to work.
Establishment-critical narrative
The Philippines formally left the ICC back in 2019. At that point, the court had only opened a preliminary examination into the case, not a real investigation — yet it's now using that thin basis to claim it never lost jurisdiction. If a country can quit a treaty and still get dragged back in years later, quitting it never actually meant anything.
Public Figures
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