Former President of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte Arrested in Manila

What Happened?

Rodrigo Duterte, who served as President of the Philippines from 2016 through 2022, has been arrested by the International Criminal Court. 

The arrest took place in Manilla, the capital of the Philippines. Mr. Duterte was subsequently flown to the Hague in the Netherlands.

The International Criminal Court has accused Mr. Duterte of crimes against humanity during his tenure as President of the Philippines and while he was mayor of Davao. 

Why it Matters

While President of the Philippines, Mr. Duterte gained international recognition for his much-touted war on drugs, which was carried out during his administration. 

The case will be a test for the International Criminal Court, and Mr. Duterte’s supporters have argued the arrest was illegal because the Philippine is not a member of the International Criminal Court. For its part the ICC ruled the arrest is valid because the killings being investigated took place when the Philippines was a member.

The ICC is not alone in suspecting Mr. Duterte of mass murder. 

According to Human Rights Watch, at least 12,000 Filipinos were killed by security forces loyal to then President Duterte during his term in office.

While campaigning for President of the Philippines in 2016 Mr. Duterte said during a speech “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.” 

Extra-judicial killings became a hallmark of the Duterte administration, with police often executing suspects on the mere accusation or even suspicion of being drug dealers. These types of killings were rarely challenged in court, and other international groups put the total number killed at 30,000. 

The exact number may never be known.

Families of the victims have long sought to bring Mr. Duterte to justice. The ICC arrest may offer them a chance to get it. The Philippines is a member nation of Interpol, which carries out arrests on behalf of the ICC. 

The current regime in the Philippines permitted Interpol to make the arrests, most likely for their own reasons, namely it had a falling out with Mr. Duterte and saw a chance to get rid of a critic and political rival. 

Mr. Duterte seemed to acknowledge his responsibility for the mass killings that took place during his term as president. While testifying before the Philippines Senate, he said “For all the police did pursuant to my orders, I should be the one jailed, not the policemen who obeyed my orders.”

How it Affects You

The arrest of a high-profile former President could have the effect of tempering the behavior of other world leaders while they are in office for fear they too might be arrested after their term expires.