By PR | 08:42 PM March 11, 2025
Former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte has been taken into custody after the international criminal court issued a warrant for his arrest for his so-called “war on drugs”.
The former leader, who will turn 80 this month, is accused by ICC prosecutors of crimes against humanity over his anti-drugs crackdowns, in which as many as 30,000 people were killed. Most of the victims were men in poor, urban areas, who were gunned down in the streets.
The president’s office said Duterte was arrested on Tuesday morning at Manila airport after flying back from Hong Kong.
Duterte, who remains an influential figure in Philippine politics, had previously responded to recent speculation that an arrest warrant was imminent, saying on Sunday: “If this is really my fate in life, that’s OK, I will accept it. There’s nothing we can do.”
Duterte became president in 2016 after promising a merciless, bloody crackdown that would rid the country of drugs.
Since his election, between 12,000 and 30,000 civilians are estimated to have been killed in connection with anti-drugs operations, according to data cited by the ICC.
On Instagram, Kitty Duterte shared a photo of former Pres. Duterte, claiming authorities “are denying my dad the proper healthcare he needs.”
“They are keeping him confined here and not allowing us to bring him to the hospital. He is getting weaker by the minute,” she added.
Vice President Sara Duterte released a statement following the arrest of her father.
“This act shows the world that this government is willing to abandon its own citizen and betray the very essence of our sovereignty and national dignity,” she said.
