Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was arrested on Tuesday following the issuance of a detention warrant by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged crimes against humanity, according to the Philippine government.
Duterte had been under investigation by the ICC for his violent anti-drug campaign during his presidency, which resulted in the deaths of more than 6,000 people, according to official data. However, independent organizations estimate that the actual number of extrajudicial executions could be significantly higher.
The 79-year-old former leader was taken into custody amid chaos at Manila’s main airport upon his return from Hong Kong. Interpol’s office in Manila confirmed that it received the ICC arrest warrant on Tuesday morning, according to a statement from the Presidential Communications Office.
“Upon his arrival, the attorney general presented the ICC notification for his arrest on charges of crimes against humanity,” the statement said, adding that Duterte remains in the custody of authorities.
The former president questioned the validity of the warrant. “What law have I violated, and what is my crime?” he asked in a video posted online by his daughter, Veronica “Kitty” Duterte.
Duterte’s Legacy and the Brutal War on Drugs
Dubbed the “Trump of Asia” for his blunt leadership style and fiery rhetoric, Duterte assumed the presidency in 2016 with the promise of eradicating drug trafficking in the Philippines. His war on drugs led to the deaths of thousands of people, many of them young individuals from impoverished neighborhoods, killed by police and hired gunmen.
The bloodshed triggered an ICC investigation, as well as probes by the Philippine Congress and Senate. Duterte has consistently denied the existence of extrajudicial killings, although he has openly admitted to ordering police to shoot suspects who resisted arrest.
In 2019, under Duterte’s leadership, the Philippines withdrew from the ICC. However, the court retains jurisdiction over crimes committed while the country was a member, specifically between 2016 and 2019.
Meanwhile, current Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who took office in 2022, has suggested that Duterte could be handed over to the ICC. “Our law enforcement agencies are prepared to act according to the law if Interpol requests the execution of the arrest warrant,” said Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro, according to Reuters.
Duterte Challenges the ICC
On Sunday, during an event in Hong Kong, Duterte lashed out at the ICC amid rumors of a potential arrest warrant against him. “According to my own sources, I have an arrest warrant… from the ICC or something like that,” he told his supporters.
“What did I do wrong? I did everything I could to bring peace and stability to the lives of Filipinos,” he claimed.
His former spokesperson, Harry Roque, dismissed the legality of Duterte’s arrest, arguing that the Philippines is no longer an ICC member. “This is an illegal arrest,” Roque said in a Facebook livestream. “We have not seen any arrest warrant from either the police or Interpol.”
However, human rights groups welcomed Duterte’s detention and urged the Philippine government to hand him over to the ICC.
“This is a crucial step toward accountability in the Philippines,” said Bryony Lau, deputy director for Asia at Human Rights Watch. “His arrest brings victims and their families closer to justice and sends a clear message: no one is above the law.”
The Rise and Fall of a Controversial Leader
Before becoming president, Duterte had already built a reputation as a tough-on-crime mayor in Davao City, a metropolis of 1.5 million people on the island of Mindanao. For over two decades, he enforced a ruthless approach to law enforcement, but his tenure was marred by allegations of extrajudicial executions carried out by paramilitary death squads.
In his final campaign speech before winning the 2016 election, Duterte made his stance clear: “Forget about human rights. If I get to the presidential palace, I will do the same as I did as mayor. You drug dealers, robbers, and criminals, you better leave. Because as mayor, I will kill you.”
Despite his declining health and the looming ICC arrest warrant, Duterte ran again for mayor of his hometown in October. His candidacy was seen as an attempt to strengthen his scandal-ridden political dynasty amid escalating tensions with his daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte, and President Marcos Jr.
