ROB SCHMITZ, HOST:
The former president of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte made his first appearance at the International Criminal Court on Friday to face charges of crimes against humanity. He was arrested in Manilla last week after ICC prosecutors accused him of mass murder for his controversial war on drugs. As Adam Hancock reports, news of Duterte's arrest has come as a relief for the families of his victims.
ADAM HANCOCK: Appearing via video link despite being in the Hague, the former strongman of Philippine politics was unable to say much more than this at his first ICC hearing.
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RODRIGO DUTERTE: Rodrigo Roa Duterte.
HANCOCK: Rodrigo Duterte's lawyer said his client was too ill to give evidence, complaining that the former president had been abducted from his home country.
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UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTER: For the victims of Duterte's crimes.
UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTERS: Justice.
HANCOCK: Outside the courts, anti-Duterte protesters were making their voices heard. Their anger is felt over 10,000 kilometers away in the Philippines, where family members of the victims of the brutal war on drugs are processing the arrest of Duterte. One of them is Sheerah Escudero. Her brother was 18 when his body was found with gunshot wounds.
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SHEERAH ESCUDERO: He was found wrapped in packaging tape - packaging tape wrapped around his head, his hands, wrists tied behind his back, his legs also bound with packaging tape, and he was dumped on a patch of grass.
HANCOCK: It took Escudero's family five days to find Ephraim's body after he suddenly disappeared in September 2017. Ephraim is one of thousands of Filipinos who were killed in the brutal drug crackdown under Duterte's rule. The official death toll stands at just over 6,000, although activists claim that figure is much higher. For the families of those victims, the arrest of the former president is a landmark moment. Here's Escudero again.
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ESCUDERO: I cried my heart out. I can't explain my emotions at that time. I cried so loud that it hurts my chest and throat. We waited for almost a decade for this to happen.
HANCOCK: Duterte swept to power in 2016, promising a no-nonsense approach to tackling drug crime. The United Nations said that Duterte's campaign largely targeted young men in poor and urban areas, many who were shot dead in the street. These accusations have been denied, with Duterte claiming that police officers were only authorized to kill in self-defense. ICC prosecutors have investigated Duterte's drug war since 2018. One of the initial complaints to the court was filed by former Philippine Senator Antonio Trillanes.
ANTONIO TRILLANES: We were living witnesses to all these killings at the time. We tried to document as many cases as possible and gathered as many witnesses as possible, and we gave them all to the ICC.
HANCOCK: While the ICC's case was building, it seemed unlikely that the former president could be detained. Duterte had withdrawn the Philippines from the ICC in 2019, and his presidential successor, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., had shown no interest in engaging with the court. That all changed on Tuesday, when Duterte was taken into custody by Philippine police. Former Senator Trillanes says Duterte's arrest sends out a strong message.
TRILLANES: This will be a cautionary tale for future leaders of the country that if you're given the opportunity to serve our people, then you have to serve them well. Otherwise, you would be made accountable.
HANCOCK: Duterte is next due in court in late September, with any possible trial not expected to begin until early next year.
For NPR News, I'm Adam Hancock in Singapore.
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