Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was arrested today at Manila airport on a warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC) on charges of crimes against humanity, the Philippine government announced.
Duterte was arrested upon his arrival from Hong Kong and was detained by police on the orders of the International Criminal Court, which is investigating mass killings during his presidency as part of his brutal war on drugs, the office of current President Ferdinand Marcos said.
It is added that upon arrival at the airport, Duterte was served with an ICC arrest warrant by the attorney general for crimes against humanity, and he is now in custody.
The unexpected arrest caused a commotion at the airport, where Duterte's lawyers and aides loudly protested that they and the doctor were not allowed to approach him after his arrest.
It is a violation of his constitutional rights, said Senator Bong Go, a close aide to Duterte.
Duterte has not apologized for his brutal drug crackdown, during which thousands of people were killed while he was the country's president from 2016 to 2022 and before that, mayor of Davao City, writes the BBC.
An arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court sent to Philippine officials, a copy of which was seen by the AP, says there is reasonable suspicion that the attack on the victims was widespread and systematic, carried out "over a period of several years" and that "thousands of people appear to have been killed."
Duterte's arrest was necessary to ensure his appearance in court, according to the arrest warrant dated March 7, which added that the former president was expected to defy the court's summons.
The order further states that although Duterte is no longer president, he appears to still have considerable power, and that given the risk of interference with the investigation and the danger to the safety of witnesses and victims, the court finds his arrest necessary.
Upon his arrest, Duterte asked about the basis for the arrest warrant. "What crime did I commit?" the former Philippine president asked.
Former presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo condemned the arrest, saying it was "illegal" and that the Philippines withdrew from the ICC in 2019.
The court previously said it had jurisdiction over the Philippines for alleged crimes committed before the country withdrew from the court as a member.
Activists called the arrest a "historic moment" for victims of Duterte's drug war and their families, the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines said.
"Duterte's arrest is the beginning of accountability for the mass killings that have defined his brutal rule," the Coalition Chairman said.
It is not yet known when Duterte will be transferred to Europe and handed over to the International Criminal Court. The government has said the 79-year-old former president is in good health.
The ICC began investigating drug-related killings under Duterte from November 1, 2011, while he was mayor of Davao, to March 16, 2019, as possible crimes against humanity. Duterte withdrew the Philippines from the Rome Statute establishing the court in 2019.
Duterte's government sought to suspend the court's investigation in 2021, arguing that Philippine authorities were already investigating the same allegations, and that the ICC had no jurisdiction in their country.
ICC appeals judges ruled in 2023 that the investigation could proceed, overruling the Duterte administration's objections. The Netherlands-based court can step in when countries are unwilling or unable to try suspects for the most serious international crimes, including genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who succeeded Duterte in 2022 and has been embroiled in a bitter political dispute with the former president, has decided not to rejoin the international court. But the Marcos administration has said it will cooperate with the ICC if it requests Duterte's arrest through a so-called red warrant, which requires police around the world to find and arrest suspects for crimes.
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