Breaking: Former President of Philippines Rodrigo Duterte Has Been Arrested
In a shocking move, former President Rodrigo Duterte has been arrested for crimes against humanity.
The former President of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, has been arrested. The arrest, which was reported on Monday, comes amid charges from the International Criminal Court (ICC) that the former President engaged in extra-judicial killings in his crackdown on the drug trade. While it remains unclear if he will be extradited, it seems that Duterte could finally get what is coming to him.
What Has Duterte Done?
Much of Duterte’s career has been focused on fighting drugs in his country. While on its face, such a career would be normally laudable, Duterte’s approach has been anything but acceptable. During his time as Mayor of Davao City, Duterte oversaw what Human Rights Watch called “brutal death squads,” which were created allegedly to deal with supposed criminals, killing over a thousand people, including children. Duterte previously admitted that he was involved with the death squads, saying, “Am I the death squad? True.” Before his run for the Presidency, Duterte was even more blunt about his agenda, asserting: “I would kill all of you who make the lives of Filipinos miserable.”
Nor was it the first time he bragged about his actions. In another incident, Duterte publicly argued that the reason for his city’s reduced crime rate was due to his lethal policies against alleged criminals. In a statement on his platform, Duterte said, “We’re the ninth safest city. How do you think I did it? How did I reach that title among the world’s safest cities? Kill them all [criminals].”
It was this same violent approach that Duterte would take to his presidency. During his presidency after his 2016 win, he allegedly oversaw the execution of alleged drug dealers, something he has denied.
Duterte Fights the Law
While the Filipino government has previously hesitated to comply with the warrant, pulling out of the ICC amid pending charges against him, the current administration of Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos has shown a willingness to let the charges go through. With his arrest, it remains uncertain if the former President will be extradited for trial to the Hague, but what remains clear is that Duterte can’t be allowed to get away with the murders he oversaw.
No matter the crime, every person is entitled to a trial under the law. Under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, every person who faces criminal charges is entitled to a trial. More specifically, they have a right to “be presumed innocent until proved guilty according to the law in a public trial at which he has had all the guarantees necessary for his defense.” The allegations against Duterte strongly suggest that he violated this basic principle of the law. One doesn’t have to accept criminality, drug dealing, or any other form of impropriety to recognize this basic truth. Everyone deserves a trial, and that includes Duterte himself.
One can only hope he is dragged before the ICC and found guilty. That very process should have been followed for all of the people he killed, but alas, he will enjoy the very due process he denied his citizens.
References
De La Cruz, Enrico. 2018. “Philippines’ Duterte Pulls out of International Criminal Court.” Business Insider. https://web.archive.org/web/20180316112736/https://www.businessinsider.com/philippines-duterte-pulls-out-of-international-criminal-court-2018-3 (March 10, 2025).
“Duterte: ‘I Offered to Resign as President Because I Am Sick of Corruption.’” 2020. CNNPhillipines. https://web.archive.org/web/20201001065806/https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2020/9/29/Duterte---I-offered-to-resign-as-president-because-I-am-sick-of-corruption-.html (March 10, 2025).
Gloria, Glenda. 2015. “Duterte: ‘Am I the Death Squad? True.’” RAPPLER. https://www.rappler.com/philippines/elections/94302-rodrigo-duterte-davao-death-squad/ (March 10, 2025).
Lema, Karen. 2025. “Philippines’ Ex-President Rodrigo Duterte Arrested at ICC’s Request over ‘Drugs War’, Government Says.” Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/philippines-edge-prospect-arrest-ex-president-duterte-over-drug-war-2025-03-11/ (March 9, 2025).
Lema, Karen, and Neil Jerome Morales. 2018. “Duterte to Withdraw Philippines from ICC after ‘Outrageous Attacks.’” Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/article/world/duterte-to-withdraw-philippines-from-icc-after-outrageous-attacks-idUSKCN1GQ0M8/ (March 10, 2025).
Marshall, Andrew R. C., and Manuel Mogato. 2016. “Philippine Death Squads Very Much in Business as Duterte Set for Presidency.” Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/article/world/philippine-death-squads-very-much-in-business-as-duterte-set-for-presidency-idUSKCN0YG0EW/ (March 10, 2025).
“OHCHR | Universal Declaration of Human Rights - English.” 1948. https://www.ohchr.org/en/human-rights/universal-declaration/translations/english (March 10, 2025).
“Philippine Police Arrest Former President Rodrigo Duterte on ICC Warrant | AP News.” 2025. The Associated Press. https://apnews.com/article/rodrigo-duterte-manila-philippines-icc-9b9d08b8832b43282db53418535fb245 (March 9, 2025).
“Rodrigo Duterte: The Rise of Philippines’ Death Squad Mayor | Human Rights Watch.” 2015. Human Rights Watch. https://www.hrw.org/news/2015/07/17/rodrigo-duterte-rise-philippines-death-squad-mayor (March 10, 2025).