Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was arrested at Manila Ninoy Aquino International Airport on Tuesday, following an order from the International Criminal Court (ICC). This court is investigating a case of crimes against humanity associated with the former leader.
Duterte, 79, was taken into custody at the airport upon his return from Hong Kong, as reported by The Associated Press.
The ICC has been looking into the “massive killings that occurred during the former president’s aggressive crackdown on illegal drugs,” according to a statement from President Ferdinand Marcos’ office, as reported by The AP.
“Upon his arrival, the prosecutor general delivered the ICC notification for an arrest warrant against the former president for crimes against humanity,” the office announced. “He is now in the custody of local authorities.”
Senator Bong Go, an ally of Duterte, informed reporters at the airport that lawyers, aides, and a doctor were prohibited from approaching Duterte after his arrest, describing this prohibition as a “violation of his constitutional rights.”
The warrant issued by the ICC on March 7 indicated that Duterte’s arrest was essential “to ensure his appearance before the court” due to expectations that he would disregard a court summons, as reported by The AP after reviewing the document.
The warrant also stated that “there are reasonable grounds to believe that” the attacks on victims “were both widespread and systematic: these attacks spanned several years, resulting in thousands of deaths,” according to the outlet.
Duterte continues to be described as wielding significant influence, even after his presidency.
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Randy delos Santos, whose nephew was killed by police in 2017 during an anti-drug operation, expressed that Duterte’s arrest is a “significant, long-awaited day for justice.”
“Now we feel that justice is being served. We hope that top police officials and the hundreds of officers involved in the unlawful killings are also held accountable and punished,” delos Santos told The AP.
Three police officers implicated in the death of his teenage nephew were convicted in 2018, which led to Duterte temporarily pausing his violent anti-drug campaign. Families of other victims killed during Duterte’s campaign sought assistance from the ICC, fearing that justice would not be achieved in the Philippines.
The former president was first investigated by the ICC in November 2011 for crimes against humanity when he served as mayor of Davao. Investigations into drug-related killings under his leadership continued until March 16, 2019.
The Duterte administration tried to halt the ICC’s investigation in 2021, claiming that Philippine authorities were addressing the same allegations and contesting the court’s jurisdiction to investigate.
However, appeals judges dismissed Duterte’s objections in 2023 and ruled that the investigation could proceed.
