During the initial appearance, the judge summarised the allegations against Duterte, who was not asked to enter a plea. Duterte, who led the Philippines from 2016 to 2022, is set to be the first Asian former head of state to go on trial at the ICC, a court of lastContinue Reading
Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is now in the custody of the International Criminal Court (ICC), marking a significant step forward in the pursuit of accountability and justice for the extrajudicial killings perpetrated by state forces during his bloody campaign against illegal drugs. How will Duterte’s arrest in Manila andContinue Reading
Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has taken full responsibility for his administration’s “war on drugs,” as he prepares to make his first appearance at the International Criminal Court (ICC). In a video message posted yesterday on his Facebook account, the 79-year-old addressed his “countrymen” and said once again that heContinue Reading
The Trump administration’s decision to freeze foreign aid fostered doubts about U.S. commitment to its Philippine ally, but Washington decided to allow more than $300 million in foreign military financing to Manila to move forward. Other positive developments in alliance management – especially early high-level engagements — should help maintainContinue Reading
Calls are mounting for the Philippines to rejoin the International Criminal Court (ICC), following the arrest and extradition of former President Rodrigo Duterte earlier this week. The 79-year-old former president was detained by Philippine police in Manila on Tuesday and hastily flown to The Hague, Netherlands, where he was transferredContinue Reading
Former Philippine leader Rodrigo Duterte was flown to The Hague late yesterday, following his arrest at the request of the International Criminal Court (ICC), which is investigating his deadly “war on drugs” campaign. The 79-year-old was arrested yesterday morning at Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport after returning from Hong Kong,Continue Reading
FINAL TOLL By the time Duterte left office in 2022, the drug war’s official toll had at least tripled. Police said 6,200 suspects were killed during anti-drug operations. The Philippine government has officially acknowledged 6,248 deaths due to the anti-drug campaign. But activists say the real toll of the crackdownContinue Reading
Philippine police today arrested former President Rodrigo Duterte in connection with the International Criminal Court (ICC)’s ongoing investigation into his violent anti-drug campaign. In a statement, the presidential palace said that the 79-year-old was arrested this morning at Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport after returning from Hong Kong. “Early inContinue Reading
The latest report of the global media watchdog, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), noted that in 2024, for the first time in two decades, no journalist was killed in the Philippines. This was welcomed by authorities and press groups but the latter warned that impunity and attacks targeting theContinue Reading
The Philippines expects that its existing defense arrangements with the United States will survive the Trump administration’s tumultuous early months, Manila’s ambassador to the United States said yesterday. Speaking at a forum with foreign correspondents in Manila, Jose Manuel Romualdez stated that existing defense arrangements between the two security allies,Continue Reading
