Duterte, 79, appeared at the hearing via videolink, with presiding judge Iulia Motoc citing his prior “long journey."

The former Philippine president, accused of crimes against humanity over his deadly "war on drugs," spoke via video link in his initial appearance at the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

MANILA: It was mainly intended to confirm his identity and set some matters of procedure. It was over in under 30 minutes.

Duterte arrived in the Netherlands on a flight from Manila on Wednesday and was taken into ICC custody after being arrested by authorities on an International Criminal Court warrant. Prosecutors have accused him of crimes against humanity for what they call a systematic attack on the civilian population.

Harry Roque, also a lawyer seeking to represent him in the ICC case, said the question of jurisdiction over the Philippines, which withdrew from the global court when Duterte was president, should be addressed before any further proceedings.