Ex-Philippine President Duterte Arrested On ICC Warrant For Crimes Against Humanity
Former Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte was arrested on Tuesday in Manila, following an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant over his controversial war on drugs.
The 79-year-old faces charges of “the crime against humanity of murder”, with rights groups estimating that tens of thousands of people—mostly from poor communities—were killed during his anti-drug campaign, often without due process.
According to a statement from the Philippine presidential palace, Interpol Manila received the official arrest warrant from the ICC early Tuesday morning, leading to Duterte’s detention.
“As of now, he is under the custody of authorities,” the statement confirmed, adding that he and his group were in good health and undergoing medical checks by government doctors.
Following his arrest, Duterte appeared in a video posted on his daughter Veronica’s Instagram account, questioning the legal grounds for his detention.
“So what is the law and what is the crime that I committed? Show to me now the legal basis of my being here,” he demanded.
A photo released by his political party, Partido Demokratiko Pilipino–Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban), indicated that he was being held at Villamor Air Base, near Manila’s international airport.
Duterte’s former legal counsel, Salvador Panelo, condemned the arrest as “unlawful”, claiming that Philippine National Police (PNP) officers did not allow Duterte’s lawyers to meet him at the airport or challenge the ICC warrant.
However, human rights groups and families of drug war victims welcomed the arrest.
Rise Up for Life and Rights, an advocacy group supporting victims’ families, called the arrest a “very welcome development”, saying affected families had waited for justice for years.
Human Rights Watch urged the Philippine government to swiftly surrender Duterte to the ICC, calling it a “critical step for accountability”.
Duterte, who led the Philippines from 2016 to 2022, launched a bloody anti-drug campaign, ordering police to kill suspected drug offenders if they posed a threat.
Despite pulling the Philippines out of the ICC in 2019, the tribunal maintained jurisdiction over alleged crimes committed before the withdrawal, including extrajudicial killings in Davao City when Duterte served as mayor.
The ICC formally launched its inquiry in 2021, briefly halting it after Manila promised to re-examine cases—but resumed investigations in July 2023 after rejecting the Philippine government’s objections.
Although President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has repeatedly refused to cooperate with the ICC, recent statements from government officials suggest authorities were prepared to assist if required.
Despite his arrest, Duterte remains hugely popular among many Filipinos who supported his tough-on-crime stance. He is currently running to reclaim his position as mayor of Davao City in the upcoming mid-term elections.
Meanwhile, local courts have only convicted nine police officers over drug-related killings, with Duterte himself unapologetic about his policies.
“I did what I had to do,” he said in October 2024 during a Senate probe, insisting his actions were for the country’s good.
