Duterte set to face ICC judges in drug war case

Willem van Genugtendutch academic

I see the arrest and handing over of Duterte as a gift at an important moment in time,

Willem van Genugten, Professor of International Law at Tilburg University in The Netherlands, told AFP

I have been telling the police, the military, that it was my job and I am responsible."

As he landed in The Hague, the former leader appeared to accept responsibility for his actions, saying in a Facebook video

Potentially tens of thousands of killings were perpetrated,

the prosecutor alleged of the campaign that targeted mostly poor men, often without proof they were linked to drugs

We are praying and hoping that the court will grant our request to move the initial appearance just so that we can properly sit down with the former president and discuss the legal strategies since we haven't talked to him yet,

she told AFP outside the court

Many say that international law is not as strong as we want, and I agree with that. But as I also repeatedly emphasise, international law is not as weak as some may think,

Khan said in a statement following Duterte's arrival in ICC custody