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Former Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte was taken into custody on Tuesday following accusations of crimes against humanity during his controversial anti-drug campaign, as reported by The Wall Street Journal.
The International Criminal Court issued a warrant for Duterte’s arrest, citing allegations of widespread killings during both his presidential term and his previous tenure as mayor of Davao, Philippines. Following his arrest, authorities transported the 79-year-old to The Hague, Netherlands, where the ICC maintains its headquarters.
In response to her father’s arrest, Sara Duterte stated, “This is not justice, this is oppression and persecution.”
To the @IntlCrimCourt, Former President Rodrigo Duterte was and is still loved by tens of millions of Filipinos.
To the Filipinos, irrespective of political leanings, let us at least bring him back home. If he needs to be punished, let it be through local courts.
No fights. 🇵🇠pic.twitter.com/i3CDzFX61B
— Min Soo (@minsootkim) March 15, 2025
On the eve of his election victory on May 9, 2016, Duterte declared to a crowd exceeding 300,000 people, “If I make it to the presidential palace I will do just what I did as mayor. You drug pushers, holdup men, and do-nothings, you better get out because I’ll kill you.”
The roots of Duterte’s aggressive stance against drugs stretch back to 1988, when he began his 22-year tenure as Davao’s mayor. The ICC warrant alleges that during this period, Duterte led the “Davao Death Squad,” comprised of law enforcement officers and hired assassins tasked with eliminating suspected drug criminals. According to Associated Press reporting, one officer claimed his squad, along with other police and civilian units, was responsible for approximately 10,000 deaths.
Duterte’s hardline approach to crime earned him the monikers “The Punisher” and “Duterte Harry.” Under his leadership, Davao transformed from a lawless region into one of Southeast Asia’s safest cities, according to Encyclopedia Britannica.
Fmr President of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, has been arrested in Manila on an ICC warrant for crimes against humanity (extrajudicial killings during his drug war).
He was put on a plane to The Hague
Looks like he’ll become the 1st fmr head of state to be prosecuted there pic.twitter.com/crni4Zhyq9
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) March 11, 2025
While Duterte rejected claims that he ordered specific killings, maintaining that he only authorized police to fire in self-defense, he maintained strong public support. The Wall Street Journal notes that when he left office in 2022, his approval ratings exceeded 70 percent.
Recently, his daughter Veronica shared video footage showing Duterte at Villamor Air Base, the Philippine Air Force headquarters in Manila, questioning the legitimacy of his arrest. In the footage, Duterte demanded, “What is the law and what is the crime that I committed? Show to me now the legal basis for my being here. I was brought here not of my own volition. It’s somebody else’s.”
