Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was taken into custody at Manila's international airport on Tuesday following an arrest order from the International Criminal Court (ICC) over a crime against humanity case filed against him, according to the Philippine government.
Duterte was apprehended upon arrival from Hong Kong, with police enforcing the ICC’s arrest warrant in connection to the large-scale killings that took place under his violent anti-drug campaign, President Ferdinand Marcos' office stated.
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“Upon his arrival, the prosecutor general presented the ICC notification of an arrest warrant to the former president for crimes against humanity,” the government said. “He is now in the custody of authorities.”
The unexpected arrest led to a commotion at the airport, where Duterte’s lawyers and aides vocally protested, claiming they, along with a doctor and legal representatives, were denied access to him after he was detained. “This is a violation of his constitutional rights,” said Sen. Bong Go, a close ally of Duterte.
Duterte’s arrest and subsequent downfall left families of those killed in his anti-drug campaign in shock, with many breaking down in tears.
“This is a long-awaited victory for justice,” said Randy delos Santos, the uncle of a teenager who was fatally shot by police in a 2017 anti-drug operation in Metro Manila.
“Now we feel that justice is moving forward. We hope that senior police officials and the hundreds of officers involved in these unlawful killings will also be held accountable and punished,” he added.
Three officers responsible for the killing of his nephew, Kian delos Santos, were convicted in 2018 for the high-profile murder, which led Duterte to temporarily halt his brutal anti-drug campaign at the time.
This conviction was among only a few against law enforcers linked to the campaign, reinforcing victims’ families' concerns that justice within the country remained elusive, prompting them to seek the ICC’s intervention.
It was unclear where Duterte was taken after his arrest, but the government confirmed that the 79-year-old former president was in good health.
The ICC’s investigation into Duterte’s drug-related killings covers the period from November 1, 2011—when he was mayor of Davao City—until March 16, 2019. Duterte withdrew the Philippines from the Rome Statute in 2019, a move that human rights advocates believe was aimed at evading accountability.
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Duterte’s administration attempted to block the ICC probe in 2021, arguing that Philippine authorities were already investigating the same allegations, and therefore, the ICC—meant to be a last resort—had no jurisdiction.
However, in 2023, ICC appeals judges ruled that the investigation could proceed, dismissing the Duterte administration’s objections. The Hague-based ICC intervenes when national authorities are either unwilling or unable to prosecute individuals for serious international crimes, such as genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who took office in 2022 and has since had a contentious relationship with Duterte, has opted not to rejoin the ICC. However, his administration has stated that it would comply if the ICC requested international law enforcement to arrest Duterte through a Red Notice, a global alert for locating and detaining a suspect temporarily.