Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is headed to the International Criminal Court in the Hague over his bloody crackdown on drugs, which saw thousands of people killed without trial. Philippine society is divided over his arrest, but relatives of those slain feel at least some solace.
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00:00A jet with former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on board takes off from Manila to
00:07cheers from people on the ground.
00:09These aren't well-wishers, they're saying good riddance.
00:13Duterte's on his way to The Hague to face charges over the killing of alleged drug dealers
00:17and users during his time in office from 2016 to 2022.
00:22Thousands may have been killed without ever facing trial.
00:27Duterte's outraged supporters are here too, backing his daughter, the current Vice President,
00:33who says his arrest on Tuesday was illegitimate.
00:35Under Duterte, the Philippines withdrew from the very international criminal court that's
00:41now set to try him.
00:42There is no legal basis at all to turn over or to endorse the President, the former President
00:52of the United States.
00:55They have no basis in justice and law.
01:05Until recently, it looked like the Philippines wouldn't cooperate with the court.
01:09The Duterte family had struck an alliance with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., and he
01:14long insisted Duterte would be protected.
01:17But that alliance has fallen apart.
01:19The President now says the arrest had to happen even if the Philippines rejects the court's
01:24jurisdiction.
01:25Interpol asked for help, and we obliged because we have commitments to the Interpol which
01:32we have to fulfill.
01:34If we don't do that, they will no longer help us with other cases involving Filipino fugitives
01:43abroad.
01:44But for the families of those killed, Duterte's extradition is about more than politics.
01:51In a candlelit church service in Manila, they mourn some of the countless victims,
01:55those who at least have someone to remember them.
01:58For many, Duterte's arrest brings a small sense of justice.
02:01For the first time, I am so happy because at last, I have fulfilled my duty to my brother
02:12who was killed.
02:13The Lord answered my prayers.
02:14I am thankful because He answers all of our prayers so that all of this can happen.
02:19The debate over Duterte's arrest, whether it's justice or an injustice, is far from
02:24over.
02:25But for families like these, so is the pain of what they lost during his time in office,
02:30whether the charges against him stick or not.
02:34Hank Hsu and John Van Triest for Taiwan Plus.