The office of the President of the Philippines announced in a statement the arrest of the country’s ex-President Rodrigo Duterte following a request from the International Criminal Court (ICC).
According to the statement, Duterte was taken into custody on Tuesday at Manila Airport upon his arrival from Hong Kong, following an ICC request received through the international police agency Interpol.
After Interpol Manila received the official copy of the arrest warrant from the ICC, the Prosecutor General filed the ICC notification for an arrest warrant against the former president for crimes against humanity.
“At 9:20 am today, 11 March 2025, former President Rodrigo Duterte and his entourage arrived in Manila from Hong Kong aboard Cathay Pacific CX7,” the statement reads.
“For now, he is in the custody of the authorities,” it added.
The International Criminal Court has been investigating the deadly anti-drug crackdown led by Duterte, in which he is accused of committing “crimes against humanity” as part of his “war on drugs,” during which tens of thousands of Filipinos were summarily executed.
According to police data, more than 6,200 people died in anti-drug operations under Duterte’s presidency, during which police typically claimed they had killed suspects in self-defense.
Many of the victims were gunned down by police officers, hitmen, and vigilantes. Activists allege that the vast majority of victims were poor, urban Filipinos, including minors and individuals who had nothing to do with the drug trade.
In 2021, the ICC launched an investigation into the alleged crime against humanity of murder in the country related to Duterte’s controversial drug war, covering the period from November 1, 2011, when he served as mayor of Davao City, to March 16, 2019, when he ordered the Philippines’ withdrawal from the Rome Statute, which established the ICC.
Although the Philippines withdrew from the ICC in March 2019, appeals judges ruled that prosecutors still had jurisdiction over alleged crimes committed while the country was an ICC member.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) described Duterte’s arrest as “a critical step for accountability in the Philippines.”
“His arrest could bring victims and their families closer to justice and sends a clear message that no one is above the law. The Marcos government should swiftly surrender him to the ICC,” said Bryony Lau, Human Rights Watch (HRW) Deputy Asia Director.
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