By Saadet Gokce
ISTANBUL (AA) - The Philippines' former President Rodrigo Duterte is set to face the International Criminal Court (ICC) over his war on drugs on Friday, the court said.
Duterte’s initial appearance is set for 2 pm local time (1300GMT) before the Pre-Trial Chamber I of the ICC.
The judges will confirm Duterte's identity and the language he will use during the proceedings, and they will also notify him of the charges against him alongside his rights under the ICC Rome Statute.
Pre-Trial Chamber I encompasses Presiding Judge Iulia Antoanella Motoc, along with judges Reine Adelaide Sophie Alapini-Gansou and Maria del Socorro Flores Liera.
The court Thursday said the former president is in custody in a detention center in Scheveningen, a district in The Hague.
Duterte "is suspected of murder qualified as a crime against humanity, allegedly committed in the Philippines between 1 November 2011 and 16 March 2019," said the ICC.
His "war on drugs" is said to have killed thousands of small-time drug dealers, users, and others without trial.