Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was arrested Tuesday, March 11, 2025 on a warrant from the International Criminal Court. The Associated Press reports ("Philippine ex-leader Duterte is being flown to The Hague to face charges of crimes against humanity," March 11, 2025) that:
"The global court in The Hague had ordered Duterte’s arrest through Interpol after accusing him of crimes against humanity over deadly anti-drug crackdowns he oversaw while in office, Marcos said in a late-night news conference. Duterte had been arrested at the Manila international airport Tuesday morning when he arrived with his family from Hong Kong."
According to The Guardian ("Duterte flown to The Hague after arrest over Philippines drug war killings," March 11, 2025):
"Duterte became president in 2016 after promising a merciless, bloody crackdown that would rid the country of drugs. On the campaign trail he once said there would be so many bodies dumped in Manila Bay that fish would grow fat from feeding on them. After taking office, he publicly stated he would kill suspected drug dealers and urged the public to kill addicts.
"Since his election, between 12,000 and 30,000 civilians are estimated to have been killed in connection with anti-drugs operations, according to data cited by the ICC."
A copy of the International Criminal Court warrant for Duterte's arrest can be downloaded from the ICC website.
