Duterte flown to The Hague after arrest over Philippines drug war killings
Ex-president to face charges of crimes against humanity over ‘war on drugs’ that rights groups say left 30,000 dead
This feels like a big deal. I can't remember any world leaders actually having consequences for their actions in my lifetime
It’s partially because the ICC doesn’t usually get involved if there’s a domestic prosecution. A lot of war criminal heads of state are put on trial locally after being deposed and the ICC doesn’t get involved in those situations unless there’s a request from the new government.
So, take heart. Lots of world leaders have faced consequences for atrocities. Just not at The Hague. Plus, the Rome Statute that setup the ICC was only signed in 1996 and they only have jurisdiction in the green parts of the map on that page.
Finally. He's likely responsible for thousands of executions of random people (naturally without trial, legal defense or due process). But the court will sort that out and let others know what they found.
Even Duterte admitted his drug war failed:
https://www.pressreader.com/philippines/manila-times/20190404/281483572747957
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-philippines-drugs-performance-exclusi-idUSKBN2010IL/
Won’t shed any tears for him but I wonder what this means for the balance of power in the Philippines? Will we see the rise of a new Marcos regime as potential rivals are targeted? This one comes with a pretty solid excuse in its international origin but I hope it’s not the start of something darker.
