The High-Stakes ICC Arrest of Rodrigo Duterte

March 24th, 2025

Christina Yang

On March 11, 2025, the former president of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte was taken into custody by the International Criminal Court to face charges of crimes against humanity. Sitting comfortably in an armchair with barbeque rice and Coca-Cola, Duterte’s fate remained unclear as he was transported to The Hague, Netherlands. What followed was a mix of celebrations by families who lost loved ones to Duterte’s war on drugs, but also protests staged by his supporters. It is evident that this high profile arrest has resulted in widespread political unrest and polarization within the Philippines, even putting the future of its 2028 election at stake.

Background

Duterte served as the president of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022, but came into the public eye in 2011 when he served as the mayor of the southern Philippine city Davoa. His administration was characterized by a brutal war on drugs, with Duterte frequently chanting: “If it’s drugs, you shoot and kill.” With this rhetoric, he has ordered thousands of security officers to shoot suspects of drug users and dealers during his administration. As a result, over 6,000 suspects were killed by the police, but other human rights groups have stated that this number could be as high as 30,000. A UN report also found that most of the victims were young, poor, and urban males that the police just shot without any warrants. Many families even stated that the victims had nothing to do with drugs, they just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time.

Thus, this bloodshed that spread throughout the Philippine communities has sparked international condemnation since 2011. The ICC reportedly started investigating Duterte since he was mayor in 2011. As a result, Duterte took measures to escape accountability by appointing various allies to key congressional positions and even withdrawing the Philippines from the ICC midway into his six-year term.

Arrest Details

There was a 12-hour standoff at the Philippine air base before officers managed to bring Duterte onto a plane to Hague. As Duterte appeared online for his initial appearance hearing, his family and supporters began protesting. His daughter Sara Duterte, who is also the Vice President to the current President Marcos, has repeatedly criticized the Marcos administration for turning over Duterte to a court that the Philippines is not a part of anymore. Marcos stated that the arrest was “proper and correct” due to the fact that it was an order from the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol), which the Philippines is a part of.

Political Unrest

This high profile arrest puts two of the most prominent Philippine political dynasties in a precarious collision, likely to affect the course of domestic politics. After Duterte’s term ended in 2016, Bongbong Marcos became the president with Duterte’s daughter Sara as the Vice President. This represented an alliance between the country’s most powerful families. However, the relations quickly turned bitter as the two had differing political agendas. Thus, in the context of past political issues, the reason Duterte’s arrest all of a sudden happened now can be partly attributed to the political rivalry between the two families. Notably, President Marcos previously opposed cooperation with the ICC, but has now complied with its jurisdiction and Interpol, immensely angering Duterte’s family.

Therefore, as Sara Duterte has recently been accused of plotting to assassinate President Marcos and aims to run in the 2028 election, the political future in the Philippines remains uncertain. However, it is certain that Duterte’s arrest has brought justice to the thousands of families who unjustly lost their loved ones. Further action to hold the police officers who also perpetrated the war on drugs accountable is still underway.