PH Embassy in The Hague gives assistance to Duterte and companions

(Photo from the Official Facebook page of Rody Duterte)

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Embassy to The Hague in the Netherlands on Thursday said it sent assistance to former President Rodrigo Duterte, who is now under the custody of the International Criminal Court based there.

Duterte arrived in the Netherlands at 11:56 p.m. on Wednesday.

“In view of the winter season in Europe, the Embassy prepared, procured and delivered winter clothing, change of clothes and care packages for the former President,” the Philippine Embassy in The Netherlands said on a Facebook page.

The same assistance was also provided to Duterte’s accompanying delegation and the plane’s crew members.

The embassy said Philippine law enforcement authorities turned over Duterte to officials of the Judicial Cooperation Unit of the Office of Registry of the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Duterte was then brought to the ICC Detention Center in Scheveningen, The Hague, the Embassy also said.

Former Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea was issued a 15-day visa as counsel for Duterte, and he has been granted permission to visit Duterte there.

On Tuesday, Duterte was arrested at the Ninoy Aquino Terminal 3 in Pasay City upon his return from Hong Kong.

He was then transferred to Villamor Air Base headquarters before boarding a chartered plane, which brought him to The Hague.

The former president is the subject of an international arrest warrant from the ICC over crimes against humanity.

Duterte was the chief architect of the bloody war against illegal drugs during his administration.

The drug war under his presidency claimed at least 6,000 lives, according to official government data.

But human rights watchdogs and the ICC prosecutor estimated the death toll to be between 12,000 and 30,000 from 2016 to 2019.

They said several of these cases were extrajudicial killings.