Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was "abducted" before being taken to The Hague to face murder allegations and is too ill to give evidence, his lawyer told International Criminal Court judges at his initial appearance on Friday.

It was mainly intended to confirm his identity and set some matters of procedure. It was over in under 30 minutes. But none of it was merely procedural—for every minute was historic—as Filipinos watched their former leader reduced to saying his name,