Former Philippine President takes responsibility for anti-drug operations

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The Hague, Netherlands – Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte publicly acknowledged his responsibility for the actions of the police and military in the country’s controversial war on drugs upon his arrival in the Netherlands to face charges at the International Criminal Court (ICC).

AfricaHeadline Reports Team
editorial@africaheadline.com 

“I am the one who led the law enforcement agencies and the military. I said I would protect you, and I take responsibility,” Duterte, 79, declared in a video shared on social media upon reaching The Hague. The former president is facing charges of crimes against humanity for his crackdown on illegal drug organizations, which was marked by thousands of extrajudicial killings during his tenure.

Duterte’s surrender to the ICC follows an arrest warrant issued against him, leading to his detention on Tuesday upon arriving in Manila, according to reports from Lusa. The court stated that there are “reasonable grounds” to believe that the so-called Davao Death Squad (DDS), along with law enforcement forces, was involved in extrajudicial executions between November 2011 and March 2019.

The charges against Duterte, who governed the Philippines from 2016 to 2022, are based on reports of human rights violations, including the summary execution of individuals suspected of drug-related activities. Human rights organizations and victims’ families are demanding justice, while the former president’s allies continue to defend his zero-tolerance approach to crime.

The case is being closely watched by the international community as Duterte faces the possibility of a landmark trial for crimes against humanity.