After his decision to quit the International Criminal Court, Philippine leader Duterte has called upon other nations to follow suit. The ICC announced last month it was launching a probe into Duterte's brutal drug war.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/B. Marque
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Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said Sunday the Rome Statute, which founded the International Criminal Court (ICC), was "bulls***" because it was "not prepared by everybody."
The firebrand leader, who, in the past, used foul language toward former US President Barack Obama and Pope Francis, vowed to convince other countries to leave the ICC.
"I said withdraw simply because to announce to the world, and I will convince everybody now who [is] under the treaty: Get out, get out. It is rude," Duterte said in a speech to the country's military academy graduates.
Police have killed more than 4,100 suspected drug pushers and users since Duterte took office in 2016Image: picture-alliance/NurPhoto/E. Acayan
"It is not a document that was prepared by anybody. It's an EU-sponsored [treaty]," he added.
The Hague-based ICC had announced last month it was launching a preliminary probe into Duterte's brutal crackdown on drugs. Rights groups, both national and international, say the campaign has killed thousands of people.
Officially leaving the ICC requires a year's notice and would not prevent the international court from prosecuting Duterte, who, human rights activists say, is trying to run from justice.
Philippine strongman Rodrigo Duterte completes one year in power
One year ago, Rodrigo Duterte became the Philippine president, vowing to crackdown on organized crime, drug cartels and improve the country's economy. But his presidency has been shrouded in numerous controversies.
Image: picture alliance/dpa/F.-R. Malasig
An outsider
Rodrigo Duterte's rise in Philippine politics began in the spring of 2016. He was considered an outsider in the presidential election but he gradually gained popularity due to a radical election campaign that promised to free the Philippines from drugs and corruption.
Image: Reuters/E. Acayan
Landslide victory
On May 9, 2016, Duterte was elected to the presidency with almost 40 percent of the total votes and a big lead over other candidates. As mayor of Davao, he had transformed the southern city from a mafia-run place into an economically prosperous area. However, human rights activists accuse him of using death squads and brutal force to achieve this goal.
Image: Reuters/E. De Castro/Detail
A short-tempered president
Duterte is known for his sort temper. After coming to power, he threatened to break ties with the EU, the US and Australia. He also publicly insulted foreign leaders like Barack Obama because the former US president labeled Duterte's drug war as inhuman. Duterte also announced that his government would scale down dependence on the US and get closer to China and Russia.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/N. Shrestha/M. Irham
A victory over China
In July 2016, the Philippines won a lawsuit against China at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague that rejected Beijing's territorial claims on the South China Sea. China refused to accept the court's ruling. Manila nevertheless celebrated it as a victory but remained cautious in its approach toward China due to its economic interests with Beijing.
Image: Permanent Court of Arbitration
Drug killings
Leila de Lima, a senator and former director of the Philippine Human Rights Commission, has emerged as Duterte's most powerful opponent during his one year in power. She is leading a senate probe into extra-judicial killings in Duterte's war on drugs.
Image: Reuters/E. De Castro
Honoring a 'dictator'
One of Duterte's most controversial decisions during his one year in power was to allow the former dictator Ferdinand Marcos' body to be buried in Manila. Marcos had been denied this honor due to massive human rights violations during his reign. Human rights activists and church representatives held demonstrations against Marcos' "hero's burial."
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/D.M. Sabangan
Fighting 'Islamic State'
In May, militant groups affiliated with the self-styled "Islamic State" (IS) group took control of the southern city of Marawi. Duterte declared Martial Law in Mindanao province and his forces have been trying to recapture the city for weeks. More than 200 people have been killed in the fighting and thousands have fled the town.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/T. Aljibe
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'White idiots of the EU'
Duterte, however, insists the ICC has no authority to bring a case against him as the treaty is in violation of domestic laws.
The ICC was part of efforts of "white idiots in the EU" to "atone" for wrongdoings in Africa and the Middle East, he said.
"These people when they went to Africa, they killed the Arabs. … It is really an atonement for their sins. And then they run after either the blacks, when there are so many problems, but they still meddle," the Philippine leader continued.
Should the Philippines fully withdraw from the ICC, it would be the second country after the African nation of Burundi to abandon the court.
