Duterte's Swift Fall From Philippines' 'Punisher' President to ICC Inmate

As former Philippine leader Rodrigo Duterte rallied supporters in Hong Kong on March 9, his team seemed unconcerned about rumors that the International Criminal Court (ICC) might soon issue an arrest warrant against him.

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MANILA -

Despite a bitter political feud with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Mr. Duterte's team believed any legal action would first take place in the Philippines, said Mr. Harry Roque, Mr. Duterte's former spokesman, in a phone interview from The Hague.

It was a fatal mistake.

In a span of two days, Mr. Duterte went from that Hong Kong rally to sitting glumly on a private jet delivering him to prosecutors at The Hague, where he faces accusations of being responsible for the extrajudicial killing of thousands of people from 2011 to 2019.

"He didn't expect the government to humiliate him," said lawyer Raul Lambino, a member of Mr. Duterte's political party and legal team. "He has always maintained that if he'll be imprisoned or killed, that it'll happen in his country."

Mr. Duterte made his first appearance before the court on March 14. After confirming his identity, age and place of birth via video link, Judge Iulia Antoanella Motoc set the next hearing, which will deal with whether the case can go to a full trial, for Sept 23.

Regardless of how the case at the ICC ends, the reverberations from the arrest and extradition will not subside soon.

The Philippines was already reeling from the impeachment of Mr. Duterte's daughter, Vice-President Sara Duterte, in February over accusations that she asked someone to kill the President.

With that fight still playing out, the nation faces midterm elections in May which could determine the outcome of the impeachment trial.

"This is a political ploy of the Marcos regime," Mr. Roque said. "They got rid of the biggest threat to the Marcos administration, and I'm just sad that the ICC" fell for a "Marcos ploy," he added.

Mr. Marcos has pressed back on those accusations. He said the government was "just doing its job" by cooperating with Interpol, and rejected accusations that there was any political persecution.