The plane bearing former president Rodrigo Roa Duterte left Manila at 11:03 p.m. on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, for a six-hour flight to Dubai on the first stage of its journey to Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
The Gulfstream G550, with tail number RP-C5219, took off from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) ahead of a scheduled 1:20 a.m. departure on Wednesday, March 12, 2025.
Duterte, who was accompanied on the flight by his former executive secretary Salvador Medialdea, will be facing charges of crimes against humanity, which have been filed with the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague.
His swift departure became apparent at around 8:50 p.m. Tuesday when a seven-minute video posted on the Facebook page of General Filmore Bondiles Escobal showed Duterte being escorted into the passenger jet.
“PRRD dadalhin sa Netherlands. Inaresto ng mga banyaga,” declared the one who was taking the video.
“Sir, ingat, ingat, Sir,” he added.
Duterte’s hasty departure from a hangar at the Villamor Air Base in Pasay City was apparently facilitated by Philippine National Police (PNP) Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) Chief Maj. Gen. Nicolas Torre and Spokesperson Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo.
The two PNP officials could be seen in the video supervising the departure, including the loading of luggage believed to belong to Duterte.
After the former president came onboard, former executive secretary and close friend Salvador Medialdea also boarded the plane.
“Kasama si Romy at si Jaime,” the one taking the video said.
Meanwhile, two more PNP personnel with white arm bands boarded the plane before the video ended.
Outside the air base, a group of around 250 supporters of Duterte supporters erupted in anger as they learned that the former president was already boarding the plane for The Hague.
The crowd chanted Duterte’s name even as they blurted out calls for President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and Torre to resign.
Duterte was taken into custody by the PNP upon his arrival from Hong Kong at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 at 9:20 a.m. Tuesday.
He was later taken to a holding room at the Villamor Air Base.