Former Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has made his first appearance via video link at the International Criminal Court in the Netherlands, where he faces murder charges related to his “war on drugs.

The former president of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, appeared before judges at the International Criminal Court in The Hague on Friday, days after his arrest in Manila on murder charges linked to the deadly “war on drugs” that he oversaw while in office.

The autocratic spectacle of Duterte’s presidency should be a warning to the United States. Protesters hold a candlelight vigil demanding justice for drug war victims, after the arrest of former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte, in Quezon City on March 11, 2025.