Ex-Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte arrested in Manila for alleged crimes against humanity

Former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte has been arrested in Manila at the request of the International Criminal Court over his role in the country’s “war on drugs”, which human rights groups say led to the summary executions of thousands of people.

Duterte,79, was escorted by authorities through the airport on Tuesday morning (Manila time) on his return from Hong Kong, where he had been speaking at a campaign rally for expat Filipinos.

The ICC alleged he committed crimes against humanity from 2011, when he was still mayor of the southern city of Davao, until he withdrew the Philippines from the Rome Statute, which sets out the court’s jurisdiction over genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes, in 2019.

The maverick leader came to power in 2016, promising to be tough on drugs, but his signature policy drew widespread and international criticism for its brutality, often meted out by police.

Duterte once claimed he had personally killed suspected criminals while mayor of Davao.

Loading

In 2020, two years before Ferdinand Marcos Jr replaced him as president, the UNHCR reported that at least 8663 people had been killed, while noting that some estimates were triple that number.

“There has been near impunity for these killings,” the report said. “People who use or sell drugs do not lose their human rights.”

The ICC opened its investigation in September 2021.