Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was arrested for his “drug killings” after his arrival from Hong Kong on Tuesday, Mar. 11, on orders of the International Criminal Court on Friday, Mar. 7.
In a statement, the office of President Ferdinand Marcos said “the prosecutor general served the ICC notification for an arrest warrant to the former president for the crime of crime against humanity.”
The arrest surprised lawyers and Duterte’s supporters at the airport, including Senator Bong Go which called it “a violation of his constitutional right” as the ICC apparently holds no jurisdiction over the investigations.
In 2016, Duterte began his “bloody legacy” – an anti-drug campaign where thousands of individuals, mostly poor, were reportedly killed during police operations – in hopes of completely eradicating drugs in the nation. A few years later, these extreme and violent measures executed during his administration are hunting him now.
Duterte has repeatedly denied the extrajudicial killings of alleged drug suspects but his campaign was condemned for its violation of human rights locally and internationally, with the ICC stepping into the picture.
Under the ICC’s withdrawal mechanism, the court keeps jurisdiction over crimes committed during the membership period of a state. In this case, even though Duterte withdrew the Philippines from the ICC in 2018, the international court still has the right and authority to administer justice and issue a warrant of arrest over certain people, especially those in the seats of power like the ex-president.
Duterte is currently in custody at the Villamor Air Base next to Manila airport.