Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte Arrested on International Criminal Court Warrant

Arriving back from Hong Kong, ex-President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines was detained on March 11, 2025 at Ninoy Aquino International Airport. Duterte was arrested under a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) citing claims of crimes against humanity linked to the coercive anti-drug campaign of his government.

Considering Duterte’s activities, the ICC spans his tenure as both mayor of Davao City from November 1, 2011, until March 16, 2019. The inquiry centers on the widespread deaths connected to his “war on drugs,” a campaign under international scrutiny for claimed violations of human rights.

Revealed in 2016, Duterte’s drug war was distinguished by a string of strong-arm operations aimed at suspected drug users. According official estimates, these activities claimed about 6,000 lives. Human rights groups, on the other hand, estimate significantly greater numbers of deaths—12,000 to 30,000 victims—including many tiny children and defenseless bystanders.

Duterte removed the Philippines from the Rome Statute, the fundamental treaty in 2019, following the court’s first probe on the drug war deaths. The ICC keeps jurisdiction over crimes carried out when the Philippines was a member, therefore enabling the investigation and eventual release of the arrest warrant even in view of this withdrawal.

Reaction to the arrest has been split both here and elsewhere. Families of victims have hailed the arrest as a significant first toward justice, while Duterte allies have called it unconstitutional. Advocates of human rights have The current government, under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., has proved its will to uphold the rule of law and cooperate with foreign organizations as advised.

The Duterte arrest signals a turning moment in Philippine political life and emphasizes the initiatives of the international community to hold politicians responsible for claimed violations of human rights.

This development might influence future orientations of policy as well as the nation’s interaction with international legal systems.