By Staff Reporter
The International Criminal Court has been probing Duterte since 2018 over his anti-drugs war that killed thousands while he was in office.
Manila, Philippines – The office of the President of the Philippines has reported the arrest of the country’s former leader, Rodrigo Duterte, after receiving a request from the International Criminal Court (ICC), which is investigating allegations of “crimes against humanity” committed during his presidency.
Duterte was taken into custody on Tuesday at Manila airport upon his arrival from Hong Kong, according to the Philippine government, which received the ICC request through the international police agency, Interpol.
“Upon his arrival, the prosecutor general served the ICC notification for an arrest warrant to the former president for the crime of crime against humanity,” the government said in a statement.
“He’s now in the custody of authorities,” it said.
The charge of “crimes against humanity” is related to Duterte’s brutal anti-drugs drive. The so-called “war on drugs”, while Duterte was in office from 2016-2022, deprived suspects of “due process under the law” and resulted in the deaths of thousands of people, including children, according to the complaint.
In a statement, Human Rights Watch (HRW) described Duterte’s arrest as “a critical step for accountability in the Philippines”.
“His arrest could bring victims and their families closer to justice and sends the clear message that no one is above the law. The Marcos government should swiftly surrender him to the ICC,” said Bryony Lau, HRW’s deputy Asia director.
Duterte, however, questioned the legality of his arrest on Tuesday.
“What is the law and what is the crime that I committed,” Duterte said in a video uploaded on social media by his daughter, Veronica Duterte.
“Explain to me now the legal basis for my being here as apparently I was brought here not of my own volition. It’s somebody else’s,” he added.
