Philippine police on Tuesday arrested former president Rodrigo Duterte as requested by Interpol after the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued a warrant against him for crimes against humanity amid the “war on drugs” during his time in power.
The Philippine Presidential Communication Office said in a statement that Interpol Manila received a copy of the arrest warrant on Tuesday morning.
“The former president and his entourage are in good health and have been examined by government doctors,” the statement said. “They [government doctors] have assured that he [Duterte] is in good condition.”
“He is currently in the custody of the authorities,” it added.
A Facebook video said to have been taken from inside the plane showed Duterte talking with police officials, saying, “You will just have to kill me. I will not allow it if you will side with the foreigners.”
The police officer is heard telling Duterte that they were just following procedure.
A second video is purportedly showing Duterte, walking with a cane, following the police officials after disembarking from the plane.
Duterte was taken from the airport to the Villamor Air Base, where reports suggest a plane is on standby to take the former president directly to The Hague, Netherlands.
However, no official statement has been made regarding the potential flight to The Hague.
Kristina Conti, one of the lawyers in the case against Duterte, posted on Facebook: “When a person is arrested under a warrant of arrest from the ICC, he should be turned over to law enforcement officer of a member state, and is to be flown to The Hague, The Netherlands ASAP.”
Duterte was president of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022, during which time he implemented a “war on drugs” that left thousands of suspects dead in police operations. He has said in the past he was prepared to go to jail for the controversial campaign.
The ICC launched in 2018 an investigation into the “war on drugs” after complaints were filed by opposition politicians and families of the victims. The Philippines withdrew from the ICC a month after the preliminary investigation started.
Llore Pasco, mother of two victims of the drug war whose killings were among the cases included in the ICC investigation, said Duterte’s arrest was the first step towards justice for them.
“I cried when I heard of what happened,” she said in a radio interview. “This is it! Finally what we have been waiting for could happen, for Duterte to be arrested, jailed and be held accountable for his crimes.”
Pasco said that even if Duterte now asks for forgiveness for the killings, it would not be enough.
“He needs to be held accountable,” she said. “Even if he says sorry now, it is not enough because we lost our loved ones – fathers, children and parents. It is not enough because families are still suffering. We are still enduring the pain.”
According to official records from the national police and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, at least 6,252 people were killed in anti-drug operations from July 1, 2016, to May 31, 2022. Local and international human rights groups have estimated the death toll to be three times higher.
Human Rights Watch (HRW), which has been campaigning against the “war on drugs,” urged the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr to “swiftly surrender” Duterte to the ICC.
“The arrest of former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte is a critical step for accountability in the Philippines,” said Bryony Lau, HRW’s deputy Asia director. “His arrest could bring victims and their families closer to justice and sends the clear message that no one is above the law.”