Ex-Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte arrested on ICC warrant for 'crimes against humanity, drug war'

Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was arrested at Manila’s international airport on Tuesday, following an order from the International Criminal Court (ICC) in connection with a case of crimes against humanity. Government officials confirmed his detention upon arrival from Hong Kong.

Law enforcement took Duterte into custody based on ICC directives, as the former strongman faces grave allegations linked to his notorious drug war. Human rights organizations estimate that during his tenure, law enforcers and vigilante groups executed tens of thousands of impoverished men—many without concrete evidence of drug involvement.

"Early in the morning, Interpol Manila received the official copy of the warrant of the arrest from the ICC," declared the presidential office in a statement. "As of now, he is under the custody of authorities." The announcement further assured that "the former president and his group are in good health and are being checked by government doctors."

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The ICC’s investigation spans Duterte’s time as both the mayor of Davao and president, scrutinizing alleged crimes against humanity committed between November 1, 2011, and March 16, 2019. In 2019, Duterte withdrew the Philippines from the Rome Statute - a move widely perceived by rights groups as an attempt to evade accountability for the extrajudicial killings linked to his ruthless crackdown on drugs.

Despite Duterte’s administration attempting to block the ICC probe in 2021 by arguing that Philippine authorities were already handling similar allegations, the international court rejected these objections. In July 2023, ICC appeals judges ruled in favor of proceeding with the case, dismissing the Philippine government’s challenges.

The Hague-based ICC intervenes when domestic legal systems fail to prosecute individuals suspected of severe international crimes, including genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.

Though President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Duterte’s successor and now his political rival, has not rejoined the ICC, his administration previously signaled it would cooperate with international authorities if a Red Notice, a global law enforcement request, were issued to facilitate Duterte’s arrest.

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