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.
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