March 11, Phillipene: Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was arrested on March 11, 2025, and was subsequently flown to The Hague to face charges of crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court (ICC). Duterte’s arrest came after he arrived in Manila from Hong Kong, and it marks a significant step in the ICC’s investigation into the thousands of killings that occurred during his war on drugs.
Duterte was taken into custody by police at Manila’s international airport on orders from the ICC. He was then transported to Villamor Air Base and boarded a plane bound for The Hague. Duterte’s lawyers immediately challenged his arrest, asking the Supreme Court to block his transfer out of the Philippines.
The arrest is seen as a strategic move by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to neutralize a key political rival and potentially weaken the Duterte political dynasty.
The arrest has sparked reactions from various stakeholders, with human rights groups welcoming it as a step towards accountability, while Duterte loyalists condemn it as unlawful and politically motivated.
Before becoming President in 2016, Duterte was the mayor of Davao, a sprawling southern metropolis, for 22 years. He gained fame for making the city one of the country’s safest from street crimes. He used Davao’s reputation to cast himself as a tough-talking anti-establishment politician ahead of the 2016 elections. In the final campaign rally that year, Duterte told the crowd to “forget the laws on human rights”. He added, “You drug pushers, holdup men and do-nothings, you better go out… Because I’ll kill you.”
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