Duterte appears before ICC, arrest legality challenged

Former President Rodrigo Duterte appeared before the International Criminal Court (ICC) after being arrested and transferred from the Philippines.

Supporters of Duterte have questioned the legality of his arrest, arguing that the Philippines' departure from the ICC means it has no jurisdiction over him while the court maintains its authority based on incidents during the country's membership in the Rome Statute.

Petitions filed by Duterte and his children challenging the legality of his arrest are pending before the Philippine Supreme Court.

Advocates for victims of the drug war have called on the government to continue investigations into drug-related killings and consider rejoining the ICC to prevent a repeat of the bloody campaign.