The arrest of former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, aged 79, has captured global attention following a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Duterte faces charges of “crimes against humanity of murder” due to his controversial anti-drug crackdown, which led to the deaths of tens of thousands, primarily from marginalized communities.
Rights organizations allege many were killed by police and vigilantes without evidence of drug involvement. CNN reported that while Duterte’s administration officially counted over 6,000 deaths from the campaign, independent groups believe the true toll of extrajudicial killings is much higher.
NBC speculated that Duterte’s recent trip to Hong Kong—an ICC non-member—may have been an attempt to evade arrest.
The New York Times highlighted the ICC’s view that the killings were “widespread and systematic,” while the BBC noted Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. had initially resisted cooperating with the ICC investigation but later shifted his stance as tensions with the Duterte family grew.
Bloomberg, France24, AP, and Reuters have all also covered the arrest.
