Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said he assumes full responsibility for his government’s “war against drugs” in a video message published on his Facebook account while preparing for a legal battle at the International Criminal Court.
“Regardless of what happened in the past, I will be ahead of our police and military forces. I already said that, that I will protect you and be responsible for everything, ”said Duterte. His comments were the first since he was placed on a plane to The Hague.
After his arrest in Manila on murder accusations linked to his “war against drugs,” in which thousands of alleged traffickers and users were killed.
The video showed only Duterte talking and seems to have been recorded inside the plane.
In a statement, the ICC said Duterte was “delivered to the Custody of the International Criminal Court. He was arrested by the Authorities of the Republic of the Philippines… on charges of murder as a crime against humanity. ”
He will be presented to a TPI judge in The Hague in the coming days for a first appearance, according to the statement. He was transferred to a detention unit on the Dutch coast.
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“This will be a long legal process, but I tell you that I will continue to serve my country. And so that is, if this is my destiny, ”Duterte said, ensuring his supporters that he was fine.
“I’m fine, don’t worry,” said the 79-year-old former Filipino in the video of more than two minutes.
Duterte, who led the Philippines from 2016 to 2022, will face accusations of crimes against humanity for supervising death squads in their anti -drug repression. He can become the first ex-chief of Asian state to be tried by the ICC.
