Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was arrested at Manila Airport after an Interpol-led warrant was issued against him by the International Criminal Court (ICC). According to Reuters, Duterte was taken into custody upon arrival from Hong Kong and is now being held by police.

The ICC has charged Duterte with crimes against humanity, citing extrajudicial killings linked to his anti-drug campaign. The office of current President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. stated that during Duterte’s tenure, widespread killings occurred under the guise of combatting illegal drug trafficking. The court is set to investigate these allegations.

The ICC’s directive covers incidents from November 2011 to March 16, 2019, during which Duterte served as both mayor of Davao City and later as the country’s president. The alleged killings during this period may constitute crimes against humanity.

In 2019, Duterte withdrew the Philippines from the Rome Statute, which established the ICC, with human rights advocates claiming it was an attempt to evade accountability for the alleged mass killings. His administration also sought to suspend ICC investigations in 2021, arguing that Philippine courts were already handling the cases. Duterte insisted that the ICC was a court of last resort and had no jurisdiction over the matter.

However, in 2023, the ICC’s appeals chamber ruled that the investigation could resume, rejecting Duterte’s administration’s appeal. The ICC intervenes when a nation is deemed unwilling or unable to prosecute serious international crimes such as genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.

Since assuming office in 2022, President Marcos has not sought to rejoin the ICC, but he has had political disputes with Duterte. His administration previously stated that it would cooperate with an ICC red notice issued via Interpol for Duterte’s arrest.

The President’s communications office confirmed that Interpol’s Manila branch received the ICC-issued warrant, leading to Duterte’s arrest upon his return from Hong Kong.