Duterte's first night in a jail cell is a pivotal moment for the ICC

Outside the International Criminal Court's (ICC) detention centre, wherever erstwhile Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte was taken connected Wednesday, his supporters gathered, waving nationalist flags and shouting, "Bring him back!" arsenic helium was driven done the imposing robust gates astatine speed.

Shortly earlier helium landed successful the Netherlands, the 79-year-old unapologetically defended his bloody "war connected drugs" for which the ICC says determination are "reasonable grounds" to complaint him with execution arsenic a transgression against humanity.

Small-time cause dealers, users and others were killed without proceedings connected his ticker arsenic politician and, later, arsenic president.

The authoritative toll stands astatine 6,000, though activists judge the existent fig could tally into the tens of thousands.

Duterte said helium cracked down connected cause dealers to escaped the state of thoroughfare crimes.

However, rights groups allege that the run was rife with constabulary abuse, targeting young men from the municipality poor.

Duterte is the archetypal Asian erstwhile caput of authorities to beryllium indicted by the ICC - and the archetypal fishy to beryllium flown to The Hague successful 3 years.

And his accomplishment comes astatine a pivotal infinitesimal for the International Criminal Court.

Rodrigo Duterte's apprehension and deportation connected Monday was the effect of an unprecedented concatenation of events.

His supporters allege that the ICC is being utilized arsenic a governmental instrumentality by the country's existent president Ferdinand Marcos who has publically fallen retired with the almighty Duterte family.

The ICC is simply a tribunal of past edifice designed to clasp the astir almighty to relationship erstwhile home courts are incapable oregon unwilling to bash so. But this lawsuit is simply a reminder of the grade to which it depends connected authorities practice successful bid to fulfil its mandate - it efficaciously has nary powerfulness to apprehension radical without the practice of the countries they are in, which is astir often refused.

In the lawsuit of Duterte, chances that helium would ever beryllium prosecuted by the ICC seemed unthinkable adjacent successful 2022, erstwhile his daughter, Vice-President Sara Duterte, allied with Marcos to make the almighty "uniteam" that swept parliamentary elections.

Up until a fewer months ago, Marcos had dismissed the thought of cooperating with the ICC.

But the gait astatine which Duterte was served an apprehension warrant and extradited shows that erstwhile governmental winds shift, those erstwhile considered untouchable tin find themselves touching down successful The Hague.

The full process of his extradition - from his detention successful Manila to his accomplishment successful The Hague - has been documented connected societal media by his girl Kitty and Duterte himself done his aide. His level was the astir tracked connected formation radar.

"I americium the 1 who led our instrumentality enforcement and military. I said that I volition support you and I volition beryllium liable for each of this," helium said connected a Facebook video, 1 of galore that was shared implicit much than 24 hours during his travel from Manila to The Hague.

It provided uncommon penetration into what is usually an opaque process, and the satellite was capable to follow, sometimes successful existent time, each measurement of it close down to the meals Duterte was served connected committee his chartered jet.

Duterte's apprehension present sends a beardown awesome that adjacent almighty individuals whitethorn beryllium held accountable for their actions, perchance deterring aboriginal abuses.

His lawsuit has besides reignited statement astir the ICC's relation successful narration to nationalist sovereignty, a interest often raised by non-member states similar the United States, Russia, and China.

The tribunal depends connected its 128 members to money and beryllium the operational limb of this judicial body.

So Duterte's headline-making arrival, followed by his archetypal nighttime successful a jailhouse compartment astatine The Hague, connection the the tribunal a much-needed win.

After serving 2 high-profile apprehension warrants – 1 for the Russian president Vladimir Putin, and different for Israel's premier curate Benjamin Netanyahu implicit the warfare successful Gaza – which are improbable to beryllium enforced immoderate clip soon, the accomplishment of Duterte volition beryllium enactment distant arsenic impervious the tribunal is susceptible of bringing those accused of the gravest atrocities to look justice.

It is simply a litmus trial for the ICC's quality to relation efficaciously successful an progressively polarised climate.

ICC authoritative Karim Khan was precocious sanctioned by Donald Trump implicit the apprehension warrant issued for Benjamin Netanyahu.

The detention of Duterte provides him with a almighty response.

"Many accidental planetary instrumentality is not strong," Karim Khan acknowledged. "But planetary instrumentality is not arsenic anemic arsenic immoderate whitethorn think. When we travel together, erstwhile we physique partnerships, the regularisation of instrumentality tin prevail."

The erstwhile Philippines president volition present people his 80th day this period successful the ICC's detention facility, located successful the dunes of The Hague.

The facility, erstwhile a Nazi situation complex, provides each detainee with a backstage cell, entree to computers, a library, and sports facilities.

If helium isn't satisfied with the meals provided, Duterte has the enactment to hole his ain nutrient utilizing a buying database successful the detention center's kitchen. He volition besides person entree to aesculapian care, lawyers, and visitors.

He is expected to marque his archetypal tribunal quality successful the coming days, wherever helium volition corroborate his identity, take the connection helium wishes to travel proceedings in, and admit the charges against him.

Following this nationalist appearance, a confirmation of charges proceeding volition follow, during which the judges volition determine whether the prosecution has presented a capable magnitude of grounds to proceed to trial.

If the charges are confirmed, it could beryllium galore months earlier helium yet goes connected trial, and years earlier a last judgment.