By Anthony Deutsch and Stephanie van den Berg
ROTTERDAM (Reuters) -Former Philippine leader Rodrigo Duterte, who was arrested on murder charges linked to his war on drugs, arrived in the Netherlands on Wednesday ahead of his expected handover to the International Criminal Court, a source told Reuters.
Reuters reporters saw the chartered plane that Duterte, 79, was believed to be on, land at Rotterdam airport. The source confirmed he was onboard.
An ambulance was seen pulling up near the plane.
Duterte was to be handed over to the ICC in The Hague, where he will face allegations of crimes against humanity for overseeing death squads in his war on drugs.
Duterte was set to be transferred to a detention unit on the Dutch coast.
He has been accused of dozens of murders and will be brought before a judge in coming days for his initial court appearance.
Duterte, who led the Philippines from 2016 to 2022, was arrested early on Tuesday in Manila, marking the biggest step yet in the ICC’s probe into an anti-drugs crackdown that killed thousands and drew condemnation around the world.
He could become the first Asian former head of state to go on trial at the ICC in The Hague.
The plane had originally been set to land in the Netherlands around 0600 GMT, but it was delayed after a long layover in Dubai during which he received medical checks.
The ICC’s warrant for his arrest says that as president, Duterte created, funded and armed death squads that carried out murders of purported drug users and dealers.
About 20 anti-Duterte protesters gathered earlier outside the ICC in The Hague with banners, including one that said: “We demand justice and accountability, Rodrigo Duterte is a war criminal!”. A protester held a big cardboard mask depicting Duterte as a vampire.
“This is great news for Filipino people,” anti-Duterte protester Menandro Abanes said of Duterte’s arrest and expected transfer to the international court. “I’m here to show my appreciation to (the) ICC for doing its job to end impunity.”
Another protester, Mary-Grace Labasan, said: “Actually, he is lucky, because he is experiencing the due process of law compared to the victims who were just being shot and killed without any due process.”
A handful of pro-Duterte protesters also gathered at the court building. “They handed our president to foreigners,” protester Janet Suliman said. “They brought shame to our (country).”
Back home, for families of Philippine drug war victims, Duterte’s arrest has revived hopes for justice.
(Additional reporting by Bart Biesemans, Karen Lema, Marta Fiorin, Ardee Napolitano, Charlotte Van Campenhout, Bart H. Meijer and Benoit Van Overstraeten; Writing by Ingrid Melander; Editing by Alex Richardson, Angus MacSwan and Aidan Lewis)
