Former Philippine President Duterte arrested for crimes against humanity

Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has been arrested in Manila after the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued a warrant on charges of crimes against humanity.

According to a statement from the Philippine government, INTERPOL Manila received an official copy of the ICC warrant early Tuesday morning. Duterte arrived at Ninoy Aquino International Airport at 9:20 a.m., local time, on a Cathay Pacific flight from Hong Kong.

Upon landing, he was served the ICC notification of the warrant by the Prosecutor General and was taken into custody. Authorities have not provided further details on potential extradition or legal proceedings.

The ICC has been investigating extrajudicial killings carried out by police and gunmen during Duterte’s anti-drug campaign while he was in office from 2016 to 2022, according to the Associated Press. The crackdown, which targeted suspected drug dealers and users, resulted in thousands of deaths.

Duterte has repeatedly denied authorizing extrajudicial killings but openly threatened suspected drug dealers with death while in office.

His administration withdrew the Philippines from the ICC in 2019, but the court has continued its investigation, citing jurisdiction over crimes committed while the country was still a member, according to Human Rights Watch.