Former Philippine President Duterte Arrested for ICC Trial on Crimes Against Humanity

Rodrigo Duterte faces charges related to thousands of deaths during his violent anti-drug campaign as he is transferred to The Hague.

Rodrigo Duterte, former president of the Philippines, was arrested upon returning from Hong Kong and is now en route to The Hague to face charges of crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court (ICC).
The charges stem from Duterte's controversial war on drugs, during which thousands of alleged drug offenders were killed, with estimates ranging from 6,000 to as many as 30,000 deaths.
The arrest was facilitated by Interpol's request, with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. stating the government complied to maintain international commitments despite past resistance to the ICC's jurisdiction.
The ICC maintains jurisdiction over crimes committed while the Philippines was a member state, despite Duterte withdrawing the country from the court in 2019.
Human rights advocates and families of victims expressed cautious optimism about the arrest, seeing it as a potential step toward justice, though concerns remain over the lengthy judicial process at the ICC.