MANILA: Former President Rodrigo Duterte (pic) will appear before the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, Netherlands, on Friday afternoon (March 14) for his initial pre-trial hearing over crimes against humanity charges related to his war on drugs.

The ICC launched an investigation against Mr Duterte in 2011 when he was still mayor of the southern Davao city. After he was elected president, Mr Duterte withdrew from the Rome Statute, which established the ICC, prompting critics to accuse him of attempting to evade accountability.