Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte Arrested on Charges of Crimes Against Humanity

Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte Faces ICC Charges

Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was arrested on Tuesday at the Manila international airport after his arrival from Hong Kong. He is facing charges of crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, Netherlands, related to his deadly war on drugs.

Duterte, who left office in 2022, has been accused by rights groups of being responsible for the extrajudicial killings of tens of thousands of unarmed suspects during his crackdown on narcotics dealers. He has consistently denied these allegations.

The ICC investigation into the drug-related killings spans from 2011, when Duterte was mayor of Davao City, to the Philippines' withdrawal from the court in 2019. The court maintains jurisdiction over crimes allegedly committed before the withdrawal.

Duterte's arrest came after the ICC Appeals Chamber ruled in July 2023 that the court's inquiry could proceed, rejecting the Philippines' argument that it was already investigating the same allegations.

In November, the Philippine government, under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., stated that it would be obliged to comply if an arrest warrant for Duterte were issued by Interpol.

Duterte's lawyer, Salvador Panelo, has called the arrest unlawful and stated that Duterte has no legal representation.

The ICC is a court of last resort that prosecutes genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity when countries are unwilling or unable to do so.