Author: MIKE CORDER Associated Press, ABC News
Published on: 14/03/2025 | 08:56:38
AI Summary:
Rodrigo Duterte appeared before judges at the International Criminal Court. The 79-year-old appeared briefly on a video screen from the detention center nearby where he is being held. His supporters contest the arrest and say the court doesn’t have jurisdiction. Rodrigo Duterte was arrested after returning from a visit to Hong Kong. He was swiftly put on a chartered jet and flown to the Netherlands. After a series of medical checks, he was taken to the court’s detention center. Prosecutors accuse Duterte of involvement as an “indirect co-perpetrator” in multiple murders. He issued orders to police and other “hitmen” who formed so-called Davao Death Squads, or DDS. Prosecutors allege he recruited, paid and rewarded the killers and provided them with the necessary weapons and resources. Duterte’s legal team said Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Shouldn’t have allowed the global court to take custody of the former leader. If approved, he would raise what he said was his illegal arrest by Philippine authorities and the ICC’s lack of jurisdiction over the Philippines. The ICC judges who issued his arrest warrant say that the alleged crimes happened before the Philippines withdrew from the court.
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