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Philippines’ Duterte says he is ready to face ICC in The Hague over drug war - ‘hurry up’

Rodrigo Duterte taunts lawmakers that they might ‘miss the pleasure’ of seeing him in the International Criminal Court due to his age

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Ex-President Rodrigo Duterte attend a House hearing investigating the war on drugs during his administration on Wednesday. Photo: AP
Raissa Robles
Former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte has surprised lawmakers by declaring that he would appear before the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague during questioning in the House of Representatives about his administration’s war on drugs.
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Appearing visibly agitated midway through more than 11 hours of questioning on Wednesday, Duterte said in Filipino: “I myself will go to the ICC. I will have myself investigated there.” He also urged lawmakers to “give me money” to buy a plane ticket to the court’s headquarters in The Hague.

Duterte’s response was a reversal of his long-standing rejection of foreign interference in his policies.

The 79-year-old former leader is facing separate probes in the House and Senate related to crimes that took place during the drug war that was carried out under his term, which human rights activists say has led to the extrajudicial killings of thousands. He is also under investigation by the ICC for crimes against humanity related to the killings.

Hours after Duterte’s surprise statement, Lucas Bersamin, the executive secretary to President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr, said: “If the former president desires to surrender himself to the jurisdiction of the ICC, the government will neither object to it nor move to block the fulfilment of his desire.”
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Bersamin, a retired Supreme Court associate chief justice, added that if the ICC were to involve Interpol and issue a red notice, Philippine authorities would be “bound to accord full cooperation” under established protocols.

Hurry up! Because I’m already old and may die
Rodrigo Duterte, former Philippine president
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