Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was arrested at Manila airport after the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant, accusing him of cri.mes against hu.manity.
According to the New York Times, on the morning of March 11, former President Duterte was arrested by local authorities in the Philippines.
He was arrested shortly after the ICC issued a warrant for his arrest, accusing him of committing crimes against humanity during his anti-drug campaign, which is believed to have led to the deaths of tens of thousands of people.
The Philippine government confirmed that Duterte was arr.ested at Manila airport after returning from a trip to Hong Kong.
Duterte is facing charges of cri.mes against humanity at the international court related to his w.ar on dr.ugs, which has led to nearly 30,000 de.aths, according to human rights organizations.
“Early this morning, Interpol Manila received an official copy of the ar.rest war.rant from the ICC,” the Philippine presidential office said in a statement.
The statement also mentioned that former President Duterte and his team are in good health and undergoing medical checks by doctors, according to AFP.
Before being arr.ested, former President Duterte was placed on Interpol’s Red Notice list after the ICC issued the arr.est warrant.
The day before, a senior source informed Rappler that the arrest warrant had been issued, and the Philippine National Police (PNP) was ready for his return.
On March 11, Salvador Panelo, Duterte’s former lawyer and spokesperson, stated that the arr.est of the former president was un.lawful and that Duterte currently had no legal representation, according to Reuters.
Panelo argued that the Interpol arr.est warrant came from “an invalid source” because the ICC did not have jurisdiction over the Philippines.
On the other hand, the ICC affirmed that they still had jurisdiction over the charges brought against the Philippines before the country withdrew from membership.
In a speech to thousands of Filipinos abroad on March 9, Duterte criticized the ICC investigations but said he would “ac.cept” his arr.est if it was his fate.
On the same day, the President’s Office spokesperson Claire Castro emphasized that if Interpol requested necessary assistance from the government, the Philippines was obligated to comply.
The Duterte Family’s “Sha.dow”
Despite facing numerous legal challenges, former President Duterte remains trusted by many Filipinos, especially those who support his tough policies against crime.
International media regard the Duterte family as a pow.erful political force in the Philippines.
In November 2024, Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte, the daughter of Rodrigo Duterte, declared she had arr.anged for someone to assa.ssinate Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., his wife, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives if she were kil.led.
This indicated an increasingly severe rift between two of the most powerful political families in the Philippines: the Dutertes and the Marcoses.
Recently, on February 5, the Philippine House of Representatives impeached Sara Duterte following serious accusations, including thre.atening to ass.assinate President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., inc.iting reb.ellion, ab.use of power, and cor.ruption scandals.
Sara Duterte, 46, took office as Vice President of the Philippines in 2022. In April 2024, she resigned from the Cabinet while retaining her position as Vice President.
In the Philippines, the Vice President is elected separately from the President.
