Rodrigo Duterte now headed for The Hague airport after Dubai layover

The plane carrying former President Rodrigo Duterte has flown to Rotterdam The Hague Airport on Wednesday, after nearly eight hours of layover in Dubai airport.

Based on flightradar.com, Gulfstream G550 aircraft (RP-C5219) left the Al Maktoum International Airport at 11:58 a.m. (Dubai time) or 3:58 p.m. in Manila.

The plane was originally scheduled to depart at 5:15 a.m. (Dubai time). It is expected to land at Rotterdam The Hague Airport at 4:55 p.m. or 11:55 p.m. in Manila.

The plane arrived in Dubai at 4:03 a.m. on Wednesday, nine hours after it left the Villamor Air Base in Pasay City, Philippines on Tuesday at 11:03 p.m. (Manila time)

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. late Tuesday night announced that Duterte was being brought to The Hague in the Netherlands to face charges in connection with the killings in the past administration's war on drugs.

"The plane is en route to The Hague in the Netherlands allowing the former president to face charges of crimes against humanity in relation to his bloody war on drugs,'' said the President.

Arrest warrant

Marcos said Interpol Manila received an official copy of the International Criminal Court warrant hours before Duterte's arrival from Hong Kong.

He added that the arrest was proper and correct.

“We followed every single necessary procedure… We followed the legal procedure that is necessary,” Marcos said.

He said that the arrest was done “because Interpol asked us to do it and we have commitments.”

'State kidnapping'

Vice President Sara Duterte, the former president's daughter, described the move as a form of "state kidnapping."

“Sinasabi ko sa inyong lahat Pilipino kayo 'wag kayong pumayag na ang isang Pinoy ibigay sa mga dayuhan lalo na pag labas na sa batas 'yun. This is actually some sort of state kidnapping. Parang ganyan na nangyayari,” Duterte told the media.

(I’m telling you all, Filipinos, don't let a Filipino be taken away by foreigners, especially if it has no legal basis. This is actually some sort of state kidnapping. That seems to be what’s going on.)

“And all because mukhang matatalo sila midterm elections dahil ang lakas ng vote straight sa ating candidate sa PDP Laban,” she added.

(And all because it looks like they will lose the midterm election because voting straight in the PDP Laban is strong.)

The former chief executive previously reiterated that he wanted to be prosecuted in his home country.

“Ako pag nagkasala, you prosecute me in Philippine courts, with the Philippine judge, the Filipino prosecutor, and magpakulong ako sa bayan ko kung sakali,” he said.

(If I commit a crime, you prosecute me in Philippine courts, with the Philippine judge, the Filipino prosecutor, and I will get imprisoned in my own country, if needed.) —VAL/VBL, GMA Integrated News