Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was arrested in Manila on Tuesday, following an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant related to his controversial war on drugs.
The 79-year-old is facing charges of “crimes against humanity of murder” in connection with the violent crackdown, which human rights groups claim resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of mostly poor individuals, often without evidence linking them to drugs.
The Philippine presidential palace confirmed the arrest, stating that Interpol Manila had received the official warrant from the ICC early in the morning. Duterte is currently in custody, and authorities assured the public that he and his team are in good health and undergoing medical checks.
In a video posted on his youngest daughter Veronica’s Instagram account after his detention, Duterte demanded clarification on the legal basis for his arrest. “What is the law and what is the crime I committed? Show me the legal basis,” he said. The video did not specify his location, but photos from his political party indicated he was being held at Villamor Air Base near Manila airport.
Duterte’s former chief legal counsel, Salvador Panelo, condemned the arrest as “unlawful,” claiming that Duterte’s lawyer was denied access at the airport, and no hard copy of the ICC warrant was provided.
Opponents of Duterte’s drug war expressed satisfaction with the arrest. Rubilyn Litao, coordinator for Rise Up for Life and for Rights, called it “a very welcome development,” noting that the mothers of victims from the drug war had been waiting for this moment. Human rights organizations such as Karapatan and Human Rights Watch also called for Duterte’s swift surrender to the ICC, viewing the arrest as a significant step toward accountability.
Duterte’s arrest follows his recent return from a trip to Hong Kong, where he made inflammatory remarks about the ICC investigation, referring to the investigators as “sons of whores” while suggesting he would accept an arrest if it came to that.
Though the Philippines withdrew from the ICC in 2019, the court maintained jurisdiction over crimes committed during Duterte’s presidency, including his time as mayor of Davao. The investigation resumed in July 2023 after a ruling by a five-judge panel, despite repeated objections from the Philippine government, which has shown little cooperation with the probe.
Despite the legal challenges, Duterte remains a popular figure in the Philippines and is running for mayor of Davao in the upcoming mid-term elections. His war on drugs, which encouraged police to kill suspected drug offenders if they resisted arrest, remains a key part of his political legacy.
AFP
