Duterte to serve sentence in The Hague if convicted

Former president Rodrigo Duterte may serve any sentence in The Hague if convicted by the International Criminal Court (ICC), as the Philippines is no longer a state party to the Rome Statute.

ICC-accredited lawyer Joel Butuyan explained that only member states of the Rome Statute can permit nationals convicted by the ICC to serve their sentences within their own country.

Since the Philippines withdrew from the Rome Statute on March 17, 2019, this provision will not apply to Duterte's case.

The new article states that Duterte was reportedly alerted about his possible arrest upon returning to Manila from a Hong Kong trip.

He was served a "diffusion request" to face 43 cases of alleged "crimes against humanity" related to extrajudicial killings (EJKs) during his administration's war on drugs.

With the cooperation of the Philippine government, Duterte was boarded on a private jet to face trial before the ICC.

The Philippine government "surrendered" Duterte to the ICC's jurisdiction through the Interpol, despite the country's withdrawal from the Rome Statute on March 17, 2018.