Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte Arrested in Manila on ICC Warrant

Duterte faces charges of crimes against humanity for his controversial anti-drug campaign that reportedly claimed tens of thousands of lives.

Rodrigo Duterte, former president of the Philippines, was arrested at Manila’s international airport upon returning from Hong Kong on an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant.
The ICC accuses Duterte of crimes against humanity related to his violent anti-drug campaign during his presidency from 2016 to 2022.
Philippine authorities confirmed the arrest after receiving an official copy of the warrant from Interpol, despite the country's withdrawal from the ICC in 2019.
Human rights groups estimate the death toll from Duterte's anti-drug operations to be between 12,000 and 30,000, far exceeding the official count of 6,181 deaths.
The ICC investigation, initially launched in 2018, was briefly paused in 2021 but resumed in 2023 after the court rejected the Philippine government’s appeal that it lacked jurisdiction.