 "Ex-Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte arrested on ICC warrant for crimes against humanity")
Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was arrested Tuesday (March 11) in Manila on an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant for crimes against humanity related to his bloody war on drugs, authorities said.
The 79-year-old ex-leader faces a charge of “the crime against humanity of murder,” the ICC said, citing the deaths of tens of thousands of mostly poor men killed by police and vigilantes without proof they were involved in drugs.
The presidential palace confirmed the arrest, stating that Interpol Manila received the official copy of the warrant early Tuesday morning.
“As of now, he is under the custody of authorities,” the statement said, adding that Duterte and his group “are in good health and are being checked by government doctors.”
Duterte was detained at Manila’s international airport upon returning from a brief trip to Hong Kong, where he had addressed thousands of overseas Filipino workers on Sunday.
Speaking at the event, he dismissed the ICC’s probe, referring to investigators as “sons of whores” but said he would “ accept it ” if an arrest was inevitable.
ICC probe amid Philippine government standoff
Duterte ordered the Philippines to withdraw from the ICC in 2019, but the tribunal maintained it retained jurisdiction over killings that took place before the withdrawal– including deaths in Davao City, where Duterte served as mayor before becoming president in 2016.
The ICC formally launched an inquiry in September 2021, but paused it two months later after Manila said it was reviewing hundreds of drug war cases. The court resumed its investigation in July 2023 after a five-judge panel rejected the Philippines’ objection to its jurisdiction.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsSince then, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s administration has repeatedly said it would not cooperate with the ICC probe. However, Undersecretary of the Presidential Communications Office Claire Castro said Sunday that if Interpol requested assistance, the government “is obliged to follow.”
Duterte’s drug war legacy
Duterte remains a powerful political figure in the Philippines and is running to reclaim the mayoral seat in Davao City in the May midterm elections.
His anti-drug crackdown, which began in 2016, was marked by thousands of extrajudicial killings, drawing international condemnation. While rights groups say tens of thousands were killed, official figures acknowledge at least 6,000 deaths in police operations.
Despite the ICC probe, Duterte remains popular among many Filipinos who saw his hardline tactics as a quick fix to crime.
At an October 2023 Senate hearing, Duterte refused to apologise for his actions.
“I did what I had to do, and whether or not you believe it, I did it for my country,” he said.
With inputs from agencies
 "Russian drones over Poland: Trump’s tepid reaction a wake-up call for Nato?")
 "As Russia pushes east, Ukraine faces mounting pressure to defend its heartland")
 "Why Mossad was not on board with Israel’s strike on Hamas in Qatar")
 "Turkey: Erdogan's police arrest opposition mayor Hasan Mutlu, dozens officials in corruption probe")
 "Russian drones over Poland: Trump’s tepid reaction a wake-up call for Nato?")
 "As Russia pushes east, Ukraine faces mounting pressure to defend its heartland")
 "Why Mossad was not on board with Israel’s strike on Hamas in Qatar")
 "Turkey: Erdogan's police arrest opposition mayor Hasan Mutlu, dozens officials in corruption probe")
