Plane carrying Philippine ex-President Duterte to ICC heads to Rotterdam

12/3/2025 17:13

A plane carrying former Philippines leader Rodrigo Duterte to the International Criminal Court took off for Rotterdam, a source told Reuters on Wednesday, after being delayed by a few hours during a layover in Dubai.



Duterte, who led the Philippines from 2016 to 2022, was arrested early on Tuesday in Manila, marking the biggest step yet in the ICC's probe into alleged crimes against humanity during an anti-drugs crackdown that killed thousands and drew condemnation around the world.



The plane had originally been set to land at Rotterdam airport around 0600 GMT, but tracking service Flightradar 24 showed it was delayed after a layover in Dubai and should now arrive around 1625 GMT.



About 20 anti-Duterte protesters gathered outside the court in The Hague with banners and a mask depicting him as a vampire.



Duterte received medical attention during the layover in Dubai, Philippine broadcaster ABS-CBN News said. ABS-CBN showed on its website pictures of what it said were police doctors checking on Duterte as he lay on an airplane bed.



A spokesperson for the Philippine National Police said the medical checks were routine "regular vital signs and monitoring".