Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has been arrested by the national police over alleged mass killings during his tenure as the country’s leader.
Duterte was apprehended on a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC), which is investigating allegations that “crimes against humanity” were committed during his administration’s “war on drugs” agenda.
According to the Philippine government, the former president was taken into custody on Tuesday at Manila Airport upon his arrival from Hong Kong.
“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. “He’s now in the custody of authorities.”
The ICC’s arrest warrant, sent to Philippine officials, states that there are reasonable grounds to believe that the attacks on victims ‘were both widespread and systematic’, having taken place over several years, resulting in the apparent killing of thousands.”
The case against him centers on thousands of killings that took place during his brutal crackdown on illegal drugs from 2011, when he was a city mayor to the end of his presidency in 2022.
According to the March 7 warrant, Duterte’s arrest was necessary ‘to ensure his appearance before the court,’ as he ‘continues to wield considerable power’ even after leaving office
While human rights activists and families of the victims rejoice over his arrest, the former leader has questioned the legality of the arrest.
“What is the law and what is the crime that I committed?” Duterte said in a video uploaded to 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.
Meanwhile, Human Rights Watch (HRW) commended the international court’s efforts to hold the former leader accountable for his crimes, describing Duterte’s arrest as ‘a critical step for accountability in the Philippines.
“His arrest could bring victims and their families closer to justice and clearly convey that no one is above the law. The Marcos government should swiftly surrender him to the ICC,” Bryony Lau, HRW’s deputy Asia director said.
