The International Criminal Court has had former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte arrested on a warrant containing charges of murder as a crime against humanity over deadly anti-drugs crackdowns he oversaw while in office.

The arrest of Rodrigo Duterte, who served as president of the Philippines between 2016 and 2022, for crimes against humanity for his part in the country’s violent “war on drugs” is a welcome blow against impunity.

Former Philippines leader Rodrigo Duterte was sent to The Hague on Tuesday hours after he was arrested in Manila at the request of the International Criminal Court as part of its probe into a "war on drugs" that defined his presidency.

Philippine ex-President Rodrigo Duterte, who left a savage legacy over his deadly anti-drugs crackdown, was arrested on an international warrant as he returned to Manila.

Former President Rodrigo Duterte was arrested by the Philippine government on Tuesday after it said it received an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant accusing him of crimes against humanity .

Former Philippines leader Rodrigo Duterte left Manila on a jet bound for The Hague, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said.

Rodrigo Duterte was arrested on a warrant from the International Criminal Court for alleged crimes against humanity.

* The judges also conclude that while the Philippines officially withdrew from the ICC in 2019, the alleged crimes in the warrant took place while Manila was still a member, so the court has jurisdiction over them. Copyright 2025 Thomson Reuters.

Footage from former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte’s daughter shows him questioning his arrest while being held in Villamor Airbase in Manila on March 11.