Rodrigo Duterte taken into custody in Manila as ICC pursues justice for drug war killings. Photograph by Jam Sta Rosa/File/AFP
MANILA, Philippines (EPICSTORIAN) — Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has been taken into custody in Manila after an international warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC) was executed.
The 79-year-old faces charges of crimes against humanity linked to his administration’s deadly war on drugs, a campaign that human rights groups say claimed tens of thousands of lives.
Interpol Manila confirmed receiving the official copy of the warrant, leading to Duterte’s arrest early Friday. A statement from the presidential palace confirmed his detention, stating, “As of now, he is under the custody of authorities.”
Duterte’s leadership between 2016 and 2022 was marked by an aggressive anti-narcotics crackdown, which, according to rights organizations, resulted in widespread extrajudicial killings.
Many of those killed were poor individuals accused of drug-related offenses. The ICC has been investigating allegations that police and vigilante groups carried out executions under his directive.
Philippine president Questions His Arrest
Footage posted on social media by Duterte’s youngest daughter, Veronica, showed him questioning the legitimacy of his arrest. “So what is the law and what is the crime that I committed? Show to me now the legal basis of my being here,” Duterte said in the video.
Since leaving office, Duterte has rejected the ICC’s jurisdiction over the Philippines. His administration withdrew from the court in 2019, but the ICC has continued its probe into potential human rights violations.
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