Former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte was arrested at Manila’s international airport on Tuesday after the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued a warrant against him for crimes against humanity linked to his deadly war on drugs.

The 79-year-old ex-leader was taken into custody shortly after returning from Hong Kong, where he had been campaigning for his senatorial slate ahead of the country’s May 12 mid-term elections. Footage aired on local television showed Duterte, using a cane, being escorted by law enforcement officials.

Authorities confirmed he was in good health and under medical supervision.

The arrest marks a significant moment in the long-standing efforts to seek accountability for the thousands of extrajudicial killings during Duterte’s controversial anti-narcotics crackdown between 2016 and 2022.

‘Historic’ arrest

The International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP) welcomed the development, calling it a “historic moment.”

“The arc of the moral universe is long, but today, it has bent towards justice. Duterte’s arrest is the beginning of accountability for the mass killings that defined his brutal rule,” said ICHRP Chairperson Peter Murphy.

However, Duterte’s former presidential spokesperson, Salvador Panelo, denounced the move as “unlawful,” arguing that the Philippines had withdrawn from the ICC in 2019 and that the court had no jurisdiction over the former president.

The ICC, however, maintains that it retains jurisdiction over crimes committed before the Philippines’ withdrawal and has been investigating Duterte’s anti-drugs campaign since 2021.

The war on drugs and ICC probe

Duterte, a former mayor of Davao City, was elected president in 2016 on a hardline pledge to rid the Philippines of drugs and crime. His administration’s crackdown resulted in the deaths of at least 6,000 suspected drug offenders in police operations. Rights groups, however, claim the true toll could be much higher, alleging that police and vigilante death squads were responsible for executing thousands more.

His anti-drug campaign drew international condemnation, with critics accusing his government of systematic extrajudicial killings and human rights violations. In 2016, Duterte infamously compared his drug war to Adolf Hitler’s extermination of Jews, saying: “Hitler massacred three million Jews. Now there are three million drug addicts [in the Philippines]. I'd be happy to slaughter them.”

The ICC’s investigation covers cases from November 2011, when Duterte was mayor of Davao City, to March 2019, before the Philippines officially withdrew from the Rome Statute.

Duterte’s arrest comes amid a political rift between his family and incumbent President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The two camps, which were allies in the 2022 elections, have since fallen out publicly. Initially, Marcos had resisted cooperating with the ICC probe, but in recent months, he signaled a shift in policy, stating that his government was open to working with the international tribunal.

It remains unclear whether Marcos will go as far as extraditing Duterte to The Hague for trial, a move that could have profound political implications.

Duterte’s daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte, has remained silent on her father’s arrest. She is widely considered a frontrunner for the 2028 presidential election, and her response to the unfolding legal battle could shape her political trajectory in the coming years.