MANILA, Philippines — Rodrigo Duterte, the former president of the Philippines, was apprehended at Manila International Airport on Tuesday. The arrest was carried out under an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant related to allegations of crimes against humanity, according to the Philippine government.
President Ferdinand Marcos’ office stated that Duterte was detained upon his arrival from Hong Kong. Police acted on the ICC’s orders, which is currently investigating the numerous deaths that occurred during Duterte’s aggressive campaign against illegal drugs.
The government stated that “Upon his arrival, the prosecutor general presented the ICC arrest warrant notification to the former president regarding the crime against humanity.” They added, “He is currently in the custody of the authorities.”
The unexpected arrest caused a disturbance at the airport. Duterte’s legal team and aides protested that they, along with a doctor, were barred from approaching him after he was taken into custody. Senator Bong Go, a close ally of Duterte, told reporters, “This violates his constitutional rights.”
Duterte’s arrest shocked many and brought tears to the families of victims of his violent anti-drug operations.
Randy delos Santos, the uncle of a teenager killed by police during a drug operation in Manila in August 2017, told The Associated Press, “This is a significant and long-awaited day for justice.”
Delos Santos stated, “We now sense that justice is progressing. We hope that high-ranking police officials and the hundreds of officers involved in the unlawful killings will also be detained and punished.”
In 2018, three police officers who killed his nephew, Kian delos Santos, were convicted of murder in a high-profile case. This prompted Duterte to temporarily halt his anti-drug campaign.
The conviction was among at least three against law enforcement officials involved in the anti-drug campaign. This reflects the concerns of families who feared they would not obtain justice in the Philippines for suspected extrajudicial killings, leading them to seek assistance from the ICC.
The whereabouts of Duterte following his arrest were not immediately known. The government stated that the 79-year-old former president was in good health.
The ICC initiated its investigation into drug-related killings under Duterte’s leadership from November 1, 2011, when he was mayor of Davao City, until March 16, 2019, considering them as possible crimes against humanity. In 2019, Duterte withdrew the Philippines from the Rome Statute, a move that human rights activists believe was intended to avoid accountability.
In late 2021, the Duterte administration attempted to suspend the ICC’s investigation by claiming that Philippine authorities were already investigating the same allegations, arguing that the ICC, as a court of last resort, lacked jurisdiction.
In 2023, ICC appeals judges ruled that the investigation could proceed, dismissing the Duterte administration’s objections. The ICC, based in The Hague, Netherlands, intervenes when countries are unwilling or unable to prosecute individuals for severe international crimes, including genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who succeeded Duterte in 2022 and has since been engaged in a political dispute with him, has decided against rejoining the ICC. However, the Marcos administration has stated it would cooperate if the ICC requests international police to detain Duterte through a Red Notice, which is a global request for law enforcement to locate and provisionally arrest a suspect.
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