Hundreds of supporters of former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte gathered at a public park in Manila on Saturday (March 15) to campaign for his release from the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Duterte on Friday (March 14) made his first appearance before the ICC where he was facing murder allegations from his "war on drugs" campaign which has killed thousands in the Philippines during his term as president.

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Duterte, who led the Philippines from 2016 to 2022, is set to be the first Asian former head of state to go on trial at the ICC, a court of last resort created more than two decades ago to prosecute individuals for war crimes, crimes against humanity, aggression, and genocide.

In the prosecutor's application for his arrest, he said Duterte's alleged crimes were "part of a widespread and systematic attack directed against the civilian population in the Philippines."

"Potentially tens of thousands of killings were perpetrated," the prosecutor alleged of the campaign that targeted mostly poor men, often without proof they were linked to drugs.

The Philippine National Police has acknowledged more than 6,000 killed in anti-narcotics operation and has claimed those who were killed had violently resisted arrest.

Victims' families and rights groups as well as a Department of Justice review have cast doubt on that narrative. 

They have welcomed the trial as a chance to get justice, while Duterte supporters believe he was "kidnapped" and sent to The Hague amid a spectacular fall-out with the ruling Marcos family.

The former leader joined the hearing through a video link from the ICC Detention Centre.

The court looked into Duterte's physical and mental health and whether he understood the charges against him. 

ICC Judge Iulia Motoc did not grant the motions of the defense counsel, former executive secretary Salvador Medialdea, to postpone Duterte's appearance hearing.

Judge Motoc told Duterte: "The court doctor was of the opinion that you were fully mentally aware and fit".

A confirmation of charges hearing has been set to start on September 23, while a trial would not be expected to start until early 2026. - reports from Reuters; Agence France-Presse

Tears, disdain as drug war families watch Duterte at ICC