Family fallout Has Rodrigo Duterte's extradition opened up old rivalries?

As the former president faces trial in The Hague, a bitter dynastic feud has returned to shape the political landscape

- Rebecca Ratcliffe

Few expected things to move so quickly. Supporters of the Philippines’ former president Rodrigo Duterte barely had time to protest before he was jetted off to The Hague to face charges of crimes against humanity in relation to his country’s so-called “war on drugs”.

According to activists, this bloody crackdown has seen as many as 30,000 people killed since 2016.

The charges brought against the former leader are the culmination of years of work by activists, lawyers and victims, who documented abuses committed under his government, often at great personal risk. But Duterte arguably would not have been surrendered to The Hague if it weren't for his family's dramatic feud with that of Ferdinand Marcos Jr, the current president.

The two families were once allies. Marcos Jr ran on a joint ticket with Duterte's eldest daughter - Sara Duterte, now vice-president - in the 2022 election, winning a landslide victory. At the time, Marcos Jr was careful not to criticise Rodrigo Duterte's "war on drugs", and promised not to cooperate with the international criminal court's investigation.