Is ex-Filipino leader Duterte facing reckoning after years of deadly 'war on drugs'?
Rodrigo Duterte, the former president of the Philippines, has been arrested for alleged crimes against humanity linked to his notorious anti-drug campaign.
The arrest took place at Manila's international airport upon his return from Hong Kong, under a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
The government's statement confirmed Duterte's custody following the ICC's notification of the warrant after ongoing investigations into mass killings during his presidency from July 2016 to March 2019.
Reports suggest that between 12,000 and 30,000 individuals were killed amidst Duterte's violent crackdown on illegal drugs, primarily involving young men from impoverished urban areas. This extensive violence has been scrutinised by the ICC, which found reasonable grounds indicating that these acts could be classified as both widespread and systematic, constituting crimes against humanity.
Duterte's arrest was met with public protests from his aides, claiming his constitutional rights were violated. One of Duterte's associates expressed concerns over the legality of the arrest.
Around 4,000 suspects were reported dead due to police actions during the drug war, prompting families of victims to seek justice through the ICC due to perceived inadequacies within the Philippine legal system.
The ICC's investigation spans from November 1, 2011, during Duterte's tenure as mayor of Davao City, to March 16, 2019. Duterte has made conflicting statements about his involvement in extrajudicial killings, claiming he did not order them while acknowledging the existence of a death squad during his mayoralty. In 2019, he withdrew the Philippines from the Rome Statute, viewed as a move to evade accountability for the alleged abuses.
While President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. currently governs and has chosen not to rejoin the ICC, his administration has stated willingness to cooperate if ICC issues a Red Notice for Duterte’s arrest. The ICC operates from The Hague and addresses severe international crimes when local systems fail to act against perpetrators.
