Former president of The Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte was arrested at Manila’s international airport on Tuesday (11 March) under an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant relating to crimes against humanity allegations arising from his brutal crackdown on illegal drugs, the government confirmed.
Duterte was taken into custody upon arrival from Hong Kong, with police acting on the ICC’s directive, reports the AP.
The arrest follows the court’s ongoing investigation into the widespread killings that took place under his anti-narcotics campaign.
A statement from President Ferdinand Marcos’ office confirmed the development.
The ICC initiated its probe into alleged crimes against humanity covering the period from 1 November 2011—when Duterte was mayor of Davao City—until 16 March 2019, when he served as president.
In 2019, Duterte withdrew the Philippines from the Rome Statute, a move widely perceived by human rights groups as an attempt to evade international accountability.
His administration sought to halt the ICC’s investigation in late 2021, arguing that Philippine authorities were already examining the allegations and that the global court, being a tribunal of last resort, had no jurisdiction.
However, ICC appeals judges ruled in July 2023 that the investigation could proceed, rejecting these objections.
The ICC, headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands, intervenes in cases where national governments fail or refuse to prosecute individuals accused of grave international crimes, including genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.
Duterte’s successor, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who has engaged in a fractious political rivalry with the former leader, opted not to rejoin the ICC after assuming office in 2022.
Nevertheless, the Marcos administration has indicated its willingness to cooperate should the ICC request Duterte’s detention through a Red Notice—an international law enforcement request for the location and provisional arrest of a suspect.
