Shortly after the plane carrying former President Rodrigo Duterte departed from Manila and exited Philippine airspace, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. held a late evening press conference with members of the Malacañang media.
Marcos confirmed that the aircraft carrying Duterte was en route to The Hague in connection with an arrest warrant issued against him by the International Criminal Court (ICC) through Interpol.
“The plane is en route to The Hague in the Netherlands allowing the former president to face charges of crimes against humanity in relation to his bloody war on drugs,” he said in his remarks.
Duterte arrived on Tuesday morning from a trip to Hong Kong. Upon arrival, he was taken into custody by authorities from the Philippine National Police (PNP).
According to the President, hours before Duterte’s arrival, the Philippine government received an official copy of the ICC warrant, prompting the Prosecutor General of the Department of Justice to serve it.