Rodrigo Duterte, the former president of the Philippines, has been arrested for his self-proclaimed “war on drugs,” with the International Criminal Court (I.C.C.) claiming that “crimes against humanity” were committed. The arrest warrant was issued on 11 March, after the I.C.C. had been investigating Duterte since 2018 based on claims that his anti-drugs campaign killed thousands. Their investigation covers alleged killings between 2011 and 2016 in Davao City while Duterte was serving as mayor, and in the rest of the country during his presidency up until 16 March 2019.

After taking office at age 71, Duterte vowed to end drug trafficking and the culture surrounding illicit substances. He declared that he would kill suspected drug dealers, stating at his inauguration: “These sons of whores are destroying our children. I warn you, don’t go into that, even if you’re a policeman, because I will really kill you.” Additionally, the wider population were encouraged to kill addicts themselves, and told “If you know of any addicts, go ahead and kill them yourself as getting their parents to do it would be too painful.” According to data cited by the I.C.C., between 12,000 and 30,000 people were killed as a direct response to Duterte’s initiative, most of whom were men from lower socio-economic urban areas that were gunned down by police or other vigilante gangs. Despite witness claims that the victims were not armed, authorities routinely stated that killings were carried out in self-defence. Human rights groups reporting on the atrocities challenged this by alleging that the police falsified and planted evidence, while showcasing how victims sustained multiple gunshots, with their wounds often being in their backs. During a senate inquiry in 2024, Duterte told senators that while he denied authorising police to kill suspects, he had told law enforcement to encourage criminals to fight back when apprehended so that the police could then justify shooting and killing them. Overall Duterte has acknowledged his role in the violence and has said that he will accept responsibility: “Whatever happened in the past, I will be the front of our law enforcement and the military. I said this already, that I will protect you, and I will be responsible for everything.”

The I.C.C. stated that its chamber, made up of three judges, had reached the conclusion that there were reasonable grounds to believe that Duterte is “individually responsible as an indirect co-perpetrator for the crime against humanity of murder.” He appeared before the court for his initial hearing via video call from a detention centre in the Netherlands. In response to the charges brought against him, Duterte’s lawyer claimed that he had been abducted from the Philippines, and that he was “summarily transported to The Hague. To lawyers it’s extrajudicial rendition. For less legal minds it’s pure and simple kidnapping.” Supporters of the former president claim that because the Philippines withdrew from the Rome statute in 2019, the I.C.C. no longer has jurisdiction and that Duterte should be returned to the Philippines. However, a petition filed to the country’s supreme court arguing for a stay in his extradition was unsuccessful. Because the events in question occurred before the withdrawal, the I.C.C. retains jurisdiction and therefore the right to try him in international court.

In order to establish whether the evidence against Duterte is strong enough to send the case to trial, a pre-trial hearing is set for 23 September 2025. If convicted, Duterte faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. This serves as a stark warning to other world leaders who flout international humanitarian laws.