Former Philippine President Duterte Arrested for Crimes Against Humanity
Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was arrested in Manila on Tuesday following an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant related to his controversial war on drugs. The 79-year-old faces charges of crimes against humanity, with rights groups estimating that tens of thousands, mostly from poor communities, were killed without due process.
Authorities confirmed that Interpol Manila received the official arrest warrant early Tuesday, and Duterte is currently in custody at Villamor Air Base. In a video posted by his daughter, Duterte questioned the legal basis for his arrest, while his former legal counsel, Salvador Panelo, called the detention “unlawful,” citing the lack of a hard copy of the warrant.
Human rights organizations welcomed the arrest, urging the government to surrender Duterte to the ICC for trial. Critics of his drug war, including groups supporting victims’ families, hailed the move as long overdue.
Duterte, who previously dismissed the ICC investigation and led the Philippines’ withdrawal from the tribunal in 2019, remains politically influential and is running for mayor of Davao in the upcoming elections. Despite his popularity, his arrest marks a significant step toward accountability for his administration’s deadly anti-drug campaign.
