Former Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte was arrested Tuesday for his alleged crimes against humanity committed during his war on drugs, The Wall Street Journal reported.
In an arrest warrant, the International Criminal Court accused Duterte of murdering thousands during his six years as president and during his 22 years as mayor of Davao, Philippines.
After his arrest, the 79-year-old was escorted on a flight to The Hague, Netherlands, where the ICC is headquartered.
“This is not justice, this is oppression and persecution,” Sara Duterte, the former president’s daughter, said.
Since Duterte became president on June 30, 2016, his war on drugs led to the deaths of more than 12,000 Filipinos accused of drug dealing, according to Human Rights Watch.
At least 2,555 of those killings were attributed to the Philippine National Police, who would sometimes allegedly falsify evidence to justify their killings.
“If I make it to the presidential palace I will do just what I did as mayor. You drug pushers, holdup men, and do-nothings, you better get out because I’ll kill you,” Duterte told a crowd of more than 300,000 the eve of his election victory on May 9, 2016.
Duterte’s war began long before his presidency, dating back to his 22-year reign as the mayor of Davao, beginning in 1988.
The ICC arrest warrant accused Duterte of heading the “Davao Death Squad” during his time as mayor.
Is Duterte guilty?
The squads were composed of police officers and hitmen whose objective was to kill criminals suspected of dealing drugs.
One police officer said up to 10,000 suspects were killed by his own squad, along with other police and civilian squads, according to the Associated Press.
Duterte’s brutal approach to crime earned him the nicknames “The Punisher” and “Duterte Harry.”
His reign as mayor transformed Davao from a city of lawlessness into one of the safest areas in Southeast Asia, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica.
Duterte denied the accusation that he commanded specific killings and said he instructed police to shoot only in self-defense, according to the Journal.
The arrest of former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and his transfer to the International Criminal Court is a historic step toward justice.
This sends a message to human rights abusers everywhere that they could be held to account.
Read more: https://t.co/CZ7qjlpztY pic.twitter.com/YZAn07Dwtg
— Human Rights Watch (@hrw) March 12, 2025
Despite his controversial reputation, by the time Duterte left office in 2022, his approval ratings were above 70 percent, according to the Journal.
Duterte’s daughter, Veronica, shared footage of her father questioning his arrest while sitting inside Villamor Air Base, the headquarters of the Philippine Air Force in Manila.
“What is the law and what is the crime that I committed. Show to me now the legal basis for my being here,” Duterte said. “I was brought here not of my own volition. It’s somebody else’s.”
Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. Advertise Today.
