Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was arrested by Philippino authorities in Manila, following a warrant from the Pre-Trial Chamber of the International Criminal Court on the 7th March 2025.
The warrant and transfer to the Hague marks a significant development in the national and international arena of criminal justice.
The charges include crimes against humanity, mass murder, torture, and rape committed between 1st November 2011 and 16 March 2019.
International Charges & Domestic Pushback
The ICC has found Duterte to be justified in forty-three cases of murder, concerning drug dealers and theives, that he authorised.
Supporters of the former president see the arrest as external pressure on the country’s domestic politics, noting his popularity among certain segments of the population.
Political Controversy: Duterte
Duterte’s anti-drug policies, launched in 2016, have resulted in thousands of deaths.
In 2019, the Philippines withdrew from the Rome Statute that established the ICC, complicating the court’s jurisdiction over acts committed after that period.
Duterte’s tough anti-drug policies had support from a significant part of the population, tired of crime and drug trafficking.
For many Filipinos, Duterte represented a leader willing to take radical measures to ensure security.
The Future of Drug Policy
With Duterte’s arrest, the question remains: will the government continue his hard-line methods or take a softer approach?
Reforms to reduce violence are possible, but law enforcement could face uncertainty.
Softer penalties could draw criticism from conservatives, but international pressure is for a more humane approach to drug control.
Court’s Legal Precedent
The ICC has previously prosecuted former leaders such as Slobodan Milosevic (Yugoslavia), Omar al-Bashir (Sudan), and Laurent Gbagbo (Ivory Coast). Such leaders were accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Unlike Duterte, who is accused of drug-fueled killings, these leaders fought in civil wars.
Milosevic died before being sentenced, Gbagbo was acquitted, and al-Bashir is awaiting extradition.
A Turning Point for International Justice
Rodrigo Duterte’s arrest marks a turning point in international justice, highlighting accountability for alleged crimes beyond the remit of conventional warfare for a third-party state outside the Rome Statute.
In doing so, the case raises real domestic and international questions about the Philippines’ drug policy and pending ICC arrest warrants for political leaders such as Benjamin Netanyahu.
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