Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was arrested on Tuesday based on an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant accusing him of crimes against humanity. The Philippine government confirmed his detention at Manila’s international airport upon his return from Hong Kong. According to a statement from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s office, Duterte was taken into custody by authorities after being served the ICC arrest warrant.
The ICC has been investigating Duterte’s controversial anti-drug campaign, which allegedly led to mass killings. The arrest warrant, issued on March 7, stated that there were reasonable grounds to believe the attacks on victims were both widespread and systematic, spanning several years and resulting in thousands of deaths. The document also emphasized that Duterte’s detention was necessary to ensure his appearance before the court, as he was expected to ignore a summons.
The arrest led to tensions at the airport, where Duterte’s lawyers and aides protested their inability to approach him. Senator Bong Go, a close ally of the former president, claimed that preventing access to Duterte was a violation of his constitutional rights.
Families of the victims of Duterte’s anti-drug operations reacted emotionally to his arrest. Randy delos Santos, whose nephew Kian delos Santos was killed in a 2017 police operation, expressed hope that justice would finally be served. He called for further accountability, including the prosecution of police officers involved in extrajudicial killings. Three officers responsible for Kian’s death were convicted in 2018, leading Duterte to temporarily suspend the crackdown. However, overall convictions related to the drug war have remained rare, prompting families to seek justice through the ICC.
The ICC began investigating Duterte’s drug-related killings from November 1, 2011, when he was mayor of Davao, until March 16, 2019. Duterte withdrew the Philippines from the ICC in 2019, a move widely seen as an attempt to evade accountability. Despite efforts by his administration to suspend the ICC’s investigation, appeals judges ruled in 2023 that it could resume.
The Philippine government has not disclosed where Duterte was taken or when he might be transferred to ICC custody in Europe. Officials confirmed that the 79-year-old former leader was in good health. The Marcos administration, while not a member of the ICC, has indicated it would cooperate with international law enforcement if an official Red Notice was issued for Duterte’s extradition.
