Former Philippine President Duterte Held for Crimes Against Humanity

TaiwanPlus News

Former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte has been arrested by local authorities. The International Criminal Court issued a warrant, citing crimes against humanity, mainly related to his bloody drug war. While some Filipinos have celebrate the move as the first step to justice, Duterte and his supporters decry the arrest as an unjust political move.

Transcript

00:00An unusual reception at this Manila airport for former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte.

00:07Typically greeted with fanfare by officials, this time detained by police.

00:14His arrest warrant, issued by the International Criminal Court, citing crimes against humanity

00:20related to his bloody war on drugs.

00:23The Philippines presidential office says Interpol sent the request to arrest Duterte earlier

00:28Tuesday morning.

00:30The former leader, defiant.

00:33What is the law and what is the crime that I committed?

00:39Show to me now the legal basis for my being here.

00:46By some estimates, as many as 30,000 people were killed during Duterte's anti-drug campaign

00:52during his time in office, which started in 2016.

00:55Human rights groups accuse his administration of targeting unarmed suspects and planting

01:00evidence, allegations that he denies.

01:04The ICC launched its investigation in 2018, prompting Duterte to withdraw the Philippines

01:09from the court.

01:11But his successor, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., has indicated Duterte could be handed

01:16over to ICC officials, something his lawyer rejects.

01:20We are obeying an entity that we are no longer a member of.

01:25We have already withdrawn.

01:27And yet, sir, you are the prosecutor general.

01:30You know how to exercise due process.

01:32Duterte, Duterte, Duterte!

01:36Outside the airport where he was arrested, his supporters gathered, calling his arrest

01:41politically motivated.

01:43Though controversial, Duterte remains popular among many Filipinos, including those living

01:49overseas, with his recent appearance in Hong Kong drawing hundreds of admirers.

01:55Analysts say his arrest is the result of years of pressure from human rights groups, as well

02:00as fallout from a feud between the Duterte and Marcos families, once ironclad political

02:06allies, now bitter rivals.

02:09The Marcos administration has been hanging that, this Damocles sword, you know, this

02:16possible punishment, this negotiation chip, that up until the last moment, you know, he's

02:21been dragging his feet and he's saying that he'll do this.

02:24And up until this moment, the Dutertes are not willing to compromise.

02:27Duterte's arrest is the start of what many view as a path to justice.

02:32But what others say is a witch hunt.

02:34With the former president now in custody, the country waits to see whether he will be

02:39sent to The Hague to stand trial.

02:41Chris Ma and Gino Lopez for Taiwan Plus.

02:46For more UN videos visit www.un.org

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