Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs defined his presidency.
He campaigned on his signature platform that swept him to power in 2016, and delivered on promises that thousands of drug pushers in the Philippines would be killed.
The 79-year-old could now become the first Asian former head of state to go on trial at the International Criminal Court (ICC), following his arrest on Tuesday (Mar 11) on the charge of committing crimes against humanity.
Here’s what we know about the ICC move and what awaits Duterte in the Hague.
WHY WAS DUTERTE ARRESTED?
The Philippines’ prosecutor general acted after Interpol Manila received a copy of the ICC warrant early on Tuesday, according to the presidential palace.
Duterte was taken into custody at Manila airport shortly after stepping off a plane following a visit to Hong Kong.
The arrest warrant specifically cites “murder as a crime against humanity” in connection with his violent drug war.
The tribunal has been investigating the Duterte government’s drug war since Sep 15, 2021. Thousands were killed during the campaign, mostly poor men and often without proof they were linked to drugs.
While estimates of those killed vary, prosecutors at the Hague say the number of civilians killed in connection with the war on drugs campaign ranges from 12,000 to 30,000.
WHAT WAS MARCOS’ ROLE IN THE ARREST?
The Philippines quit the ICC in 2019 on Duterte’s instructions as it started looking into allegations of systematic extrajudicial killings on his watch.
The tribunal launched a formal inquiry into the drug war in September 2021, only to suspend it two months later after Manila said it was re-examining several hundred cases of drug operations that led to deaths at the hands of police, hitmen and vigilantes.
The case resumed in July 2023 after a five-judge panel rejected the Philippines’ objection that the court lacked jurisdiction.
Since then, the government of Ferdinand Marcos Jr on numerous instances said it would not cooperate with the investigation, but recently reversed course, saying it would be “obliged to follow” should Interpol ask for assistance.
Asked Tuesday what he would say to Duterte supporters, Marcos said the government was “just doing its job” by living up to its international commitments.
“We did not help the International Criminal Court in any way. The arrest was made in compliance with Interpol,” he added.
“Politics doesn’t enter into it.”
This comes amid a crumbling alliance between the Philippines’ two most powerful dynasties – the Dutertes and the Marcoses. Duterte’s daughter Sara was impeached as vice president in February on charges of corruption and plotting to assassinate the president.
