The Philippines government announced on Tuesday (March 11) that former President Rodrigo Duterte was arrested in Manila by the police based on an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC), accusing him of committing crimes against humanity in the drug crackdown.
The ICC had previously stated that it would investigate Duterte for alleged crimes against humanity during his tenure, especially in relation to the bloody “war on drugs” he spearheaded, which resulted in the deaths of thousands of Filipinos.
According to police data, approximately 6,200 suspects were killed in the crackdown. However, human rights organizations have indicated that the actual death toll may be much higher, alleging systematic executions and cover-ups by the police and the government.
At the age of 79, Duterte told supporters during an event in Hong Kong on Sunday: “From what I gather, I have an arrest warrant… issued by the International Criminal Court or a similar agency… What have I done wrong? I did everything I could to make the lives of Filipinos a bit more peaceful.”
On Monday, he issued a statement in Hong Kong, stating that he was prepared to face arrest if the ICC issued a warrant and once again defended his anti-drug campaign. Duterte emphasized that he never ordered the killing of drug dealers unless it was in self-defense.
Duterte was detained by the police upon his return to the Philippines from Hong Kong on Tuesday.
Elected as president in 2016 on a platform of tough crime eradication, Duterte launched a massive crackdown on drugs. He had promised during his campaign to rid the country of thousands of drug traffickers to maintain social order. However, the campaign sparked strong international condemnation, with the United Nations and human rights organizations accusing the government of systematic extrajudicial killings.
In 2019, when the ICC began investigating the Philippines’ drug war, Duterte unilaterally announced the country’s withdrawal from the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the ICC. However, the ICC maintains jurisdiction over relevant cases in the Philippines between 2016 and 2019.
The office of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. stated that the government had received the official copy of the arrest warrant and it was being executed by the police. Duterte is currently in custody.
The Marcos Jr. government has not clearly stated whether Duterte will be extradited to the ICC, only mentioning that the case will be handled in accordance with international law and Philippine domestic legislation.
However, Duterte’s former legal adviser Salvador Panelo expressed dissatisfaction, claiming that the arrest was unlawful and accusing the police of not allowing Duterte’s lawyers to meet with him at the airport.
Former President spokesperson Harry Roque criticized the arrest warrant as “baseless” since the Philippines had already withdrawn from the ICC and should not be under its jurisdiction.
This arrest has drawn international attention, with observers watching closely for the Philippine government’s next steps, particularly whether they will cooperate with the ICC to extradite Duterte to The Hague, Netherlands for trial.
(Adapted from reports by Reuters and CNN)