Former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte was extradited to The Hague on Tuesday, hours after his arrest in Manila at the request of the International Criminal Court (ICC), which is investigating his controversial war on drugs.
Duterte, a former mayor and prosecutor who governed the Philippines from 2016 to 2022, was detained in the early hours, marking a significant development in the ICC’s probe into allegations of crimes against humanity linked to his anti-drug campaign.
At 79, Duterte could become the first former Asian head of state to stand trial at the ICC.
“The plane is en route to The Hague, in the Netherlands, allowing the former president to face charges of crimes against humanity in relation to his bloody war on drugs,” said Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
“We did not assist the ICC. The arrest was made in compliance with Interpol,” he added.
Duterte’s war on drugs was a cornerstone of his presidency, with thousands killed in a crackdown condemned globally. He withdrew the Philippines from the ICC’s founding treaty in 2019 after the court launched its preliminary investigation.
Duterte has repeatedly insisted that police were only instructed to kill in self-defence, and he has long defended his crackdown, declaring he was willing to “rot in jail” to rid the country of drugs.
Human rights activists and victims’ families hailed the arrest as a step towards justice.
“This is just the beginning of our fight. We have yet to achieve justice, but we will not stop,” said Llore Pasco, 70, whose two sons were killed in the drug war.
Official records show 6,200 deaths in anti-drug operations, though activists believe the true toll is far higher, with police allegedly staging crime scenes and targeting slum-dwellers on watch lists.
Duterte’s family and allies have condemned the arrest, calling it an affront to Philippine sovereignty. His daughter Veronica Duterte claimed on Instagram that her father had been “kidnapped”.
Despite his long-standing influence, Duterte’s political fortunes have declined, particularly after the impeachment of his daughter, Sara Duterte, as vice president.
The ICC has charged Duterte with crimes against humanity, accusing him of overseeing extrajudicial killings both as president and as mayor of Davao City before his presidency.
Leila de Lima, a former justice minister who was jailed under Duterte after investigating his drug war, praised the courage of victims’ families.
“Your voices mattered, your courage mattered,” she said.
