Ex-Philippines leader Duterte to appear before ICC for first time

The 79-year-old, who landed in the Netherlands on Wednesday, is accused of crimes against humanity amid the "war on drugs" during his time in power, including the murder of at least 43 people between 2011 and 2019.

The court in The Hague said in a Thursday statement that Duterte would make his initial appearance at 2 pm (1300 GMT).

The hearing was set to be streamed with a 30-minute delay.

"During the initial appearance hearing, the judges will verify the identity of the suspect and the language in which he is able to follow the proceedings," the court said.

"He will be informed of the charges against him and of his rights under the ICC Rome Statute."

The former Philippines leader was detained at the airport in Manila on Tuesday on a warrant issued by the ICC, and flown out of the capital in a chartered aircraft the same day, with a stopover in Dubai.

He was surrendered to the custody of the ICC on Wednesday, the court said.

Duterte was president of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022, during which time he led a ruthless fight against drug-related crime.

Police figures show that around 6,000 people were killed during the drug campaign, but human rights organisations estimate that the number was as high as 30,000.

Suspects were often executed without trial.

The arrest warrant states that there are reasonable grounds to believe that Duterte was individually responsible for murders that may be considered crimes against humanity, first as mayor of the city of Davao and later as president.

It will likely take a few months before the indictment is examined in a preliminary hearing.

The ICC has been investigating the alleged crimes in the Philippines since 2018.

--BERNAMA-dpa