Manila (AFP) – Former Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte was arrested Tuesday in Manila by police acting on an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant tied to his deadly war on drugs.
The 79-year-old faces a charge of “the crime against humanity of murder”, according to the ICC, for a crackdown that rights groups estimate killed tens of thousands of mostly poor men, often without proof they were linked to drugs.
“Early in the morning, Interpol Manila received the official copy of the warrant of the arrest from the ICC,” the presidential palace said in a statement.
“As of now, he is under the custody of authorities.”
The statement added that “the former president and his group are in good health and are being checked by government doctors”.
Duterte’s former chief legal counsel, Salvador Panelo, called the arrest “unlawful”.
“The (Philippine National Police) didn’t allow one of his lawyers to meet him at the airport and to question the legal basis for PRRD’s arrest,” he said, adding a hard copy of the ICC warrant had not been provided.
But a group that worked to support mothers of those killed in Duterte’s drugs crackdown called the arrest a “very welcome development”.
“The mothers whose husbands and children were killed because of the drug war are very happy because they have been waiting for this for a very long time,” Rubilyn Litao, coordinator for Rise Up for Life and for Rights, told AFP.
Human Rights Watch, meanwhile, called on the government of President Ferdinand Marcos to “swiftly surrender (Duterte) to the ICC”, saying the arrest was a “critical step for accountability in the Philippines”.
I’d say this is a positive thing, and I suppose it is, but it mainly feels like a political hit job by the Marcos family. I won’t be shedding any tears for Duterte though…
My Filipino wife is pretty bent about the whole thing and does indeed think it’s a hit job from the Marcos family. And this is a woman who grew up under Marcos and calls herself a loyalist. LOL, she’s in bed right now listening to the Filipino news.
(Filipino politics are beyond me, but I’m trying to learn. Call her biased, but at least she lived it, says Marcos brought roads and hospitals and schools, things she never had when she was little.)
You’re right. The Marcos family is definitely going to benefit from this especially with their strained relationship. Regardless, Duterte must be brought to justice. The Marcos family should too. It just so happens the Philippines got itself in such a mess today that we got BOTH of them in power. Anyway, we must always be critical of both Duterte and Marcos.
Speaking to thousands of overseas Filipino workers there Sunday, the former president decried the investigation, labelling ICC investigators “sons of whores” while saying he would “accept it” if an arrest were to be his fate.
A completely normal response to charges of crimes against humanity. This man advocated murder. I hope the ICC gets justice for victims.
TRUMP SAID HE WAS A GREAT MAN 🤣🤣🤣
Right, of course he did…
Why the fuck does he love these dictators so much, and so openly? And why the fuck do people still support that? It’s completely insane.
I’ve thought about this at the very least weekly since his first win and the only place I end up at, time and time again, is stupidity and pure burning hatred for anyone not like they are.
Plus daddy issues
Perhaps if he keeps saying that people who “also happen to be” dictators are great people, then voters won’t think he’s bad for being a dictator in the short future.
Was Duterte the guy who bragged about his first murder from when he was like 14 and stabbed someone?
He brags about many crimes then says he never did anything whenever convenient.
We got Duterte arrested before Satanyahu, before GTA6
Isn’t his daughter the VP?
Yes. Sara Duterte. She has an impending impeachment trial for corruption.
Watching her posts while she was being “hunted” looked like a fat, white, Southern girl being a drama queen. I’ll defer to my Filipino wife’s opinion on all this, but I’m still catching up on their politics.
In any case, fuck China for fucking with them over the South China Sea.
If PH is not part of the ICC now, then who is benefiting from this cooperation?
Filipino here. For some of us, this is a huge step towards justice for the victims of the killings when he was in power. We can’t really expect the PHL govt to do something like this given how sketchy it is, so to some people the ICC is the only hope.
I have a question because the article didnt make this that clear: Did he ordered the execution of people even tho theres little to no evidence, that they were engaged I drug trades etc?
Yes. They’re “extrajudicial killings”. If you were suspected of drugs, you could get shot by the police even with little evidence. Some police would abuse and do things like planting evidence. Police were also awarded bounties for killing suspects.
That’s fucked up. Thanks for the info.
Off-topic, just want to say that I love that your name is cows are underrated, with a picture of a cow…way to be!
Its simply a fact
Comment by apt is right. There have also been numerous cases where teens were killed for no reason and put under the war on drugs killings.
These happened while he was president. But he was a long-time mayor of Davao City, where he had a death squad. I assume I don’t have to outline the implications of a mayor having his own death squad.
What The actual fuck? How is it legal for a fucking Mayor to have a death squad?
At that point legality doesn’t really matter. This is just how “traditional” Philippine politicians are, especially the powerful dynasties in the provinces. Duterte is one of the worst, but he’s certainly not the only one here.
So this is part of the reason why the ICC arrest is very much important to us (not everyone, since the guy has a huge following, sadly). He will never be prosecuted here. The hope is that an outside enforcer will properly prosecute and actually lock him and his cronies up for good.
I hope for you, that this guy gets locked up. He devinetively deserves it
BongBong Marcos.
based
https://ani.social/post/10521901/9016733
ᜯᜤ ᜣᜥ ᜫᜤᜣᜫᜮᜲ, ᜰᜲ ᜪᜳᜥᜪᜳᜥ ᜫᜭcᜢᜰ ᜠᜬ ᜣᜰᜲᜥ ᜰᜫ, ᜣᜳᜥ ᜱᜲᜨᜧᜲ ᜫᜨ ᜫᜰ ᜫᜰᜱᜳᜮ ᜩ ᜣᜬ ᜧᜳᜡᜭᜦᜲ᜵
Yeah we’re going to need you to elaborate.
On why three wrongs make a wrong? Duerte needs to pay and reparate in the Philippines, for life. Not get extracted by the ICC and fined why their jurisdictions. Everyone in the Philippines knows how terrible are the Marcos, and Bongbong is no different.
Oh look, picking on the little guy works. Justice is served!
Now go play with the big boys and arrest Putin, Netanyahu and … Oh wait, justice doesn’t work there! Only against the weak or the powerless.
picking on the little guy
Dude is the former president of a country of over a hundred million people and has murdered tens of thousands of people, some of them with his own hands.
You need to get a fucking grip if you think arresting him for his many crimes against humanity is “picking on the little guy”! 🤦
He was and did. Now he’s not. Therefore, they only went after him now that he’s weak and powerless to stop them.
Please go away with your bullshit as I’ll go away with mine.
Pointless posturing…
Yeah, because waiting until it can be done without having to basically declare war on the Philippines is TOTALLY picking on a poor widdle defenseless boy!
I guess you were against the Nuremberg trials too? After all, those Nazis were no longer in power at that point and were thus “the little guy” 🙄
I’m against waiting. Everyone is waiting.
Patience is not my virtue.
Are you against dictators or their henchmen declaring war on the ICC and by extension the UN? Because that’s what would have happened if they’d tried to arrest him at the height of his powers.
I don’t disagree that Putin and Netanyahu need to be arrested too btw, but that’s a separate issue from pretending that arresting a recent dictator for his many crimes against humanity is “picking on the little guy”.
Oh my. The United Nations acting like a bunch of united nations and fighting against dictators commiting crimes against humanity and killing tens of thousands of people? How unthinkable!
Best instead to do nothing and let the dictators genocide in peace, destroy countries one by one and then maybe, just maybe have someone pick them up from their retirement home for a trial after everything is said and done.
How’s that working out for Ukraine and other countries like it again?
You know what? Fuck this. You clearly don’t know how ANYTHING works and don’t WANT to know, so I’m not gonna waste any more time and effort on you.
Have the day you deserve.
Kind of weird to oppose the many victims a taste of justice just because it takes place in South America and it happened 20 years ago. That’s still reasonably within people’s lifetimes and it does bring people closure in ways you can’t imagine. I don’t understand how that’s posturing. Also, of course they’re going after him when he’s vulnerable. Do you really want the Interpol to march down to dictators’ doors at the peak of their power? How would they do it? Although they do issue arrest warrants during their reign in case they carelessly waltz into the wrong territory.
The taste of justice is bitter and dusty, old and decayed. Those that want it should have it, but it tastes better when it’s fresh.
Well, we do posthumous exonerations and such. People need closure regardless. I’m still wondering at what point does the Interpol intervenes and how.
I’d say the Interpol is a diverse organization adapting to the needs of the countries that comprise it. Likely they’re more fluid in their interventions, depending on diplomatic relations and backdoor maneuvering. What they need to do and what they’re allowed to do often doesn’t match.
Hmm, I was imagining something more actionable and tangible than “be more fluid”.
What they need to do and what they’re allowed to do often doesn’t match.
I feel like this is possibly part of the reason why it’s only happening now.
Do you think the Philippine police should go to Russia and Israel to arrest Putin and Netantahu?
I don’t understand what your complaint here is. It’s up to the individual countries to enforce ICC arrest warrants. The Philippines chose to enforce it. That’s a good thing. If your complaint is that other countries don’t enforce it, then you should take that up with those countries, instead of crapping all over the Philippines for doing what those other countries don’t have the courage to do.
My venting wasn’t about Philippines. If you hate them that much, go complain somewhere else.
Back on topic, reading the other comments, it’s looking more and more like a rival dictator got him done in. So this really ain’t about courage, it looks more and more like getting rid of the competition.
My venting wasn’t about Philippines. If you hate them that much, go complain somewhere else.
I was clearly defending the actions of the Philippines.
Back on topic, reading the other comments, it’s looking more and more like a rival dictator got him done in. So this really ain’t about courage, it looks more and more like getting rid of the competition.
The International Criminal Court does not operate on the orders of world leaders. So no, a rival dictator did not get an ICC warrant issued for Duterte. Maybe don’t get your information from the comments section.
Dude, really? It’s not about the warrant, come on.
It’s like we’re focusing on different subjects in a sentence and talking past each other. Probably why you felt like defending something that wasn’t in question.
Oh, just a troll, got it.
The .world gives it away. These astroturfing bitches don’t understand fedi has no patience for them.
Lol. You clearly know nothing about Philippine politics if you think this means nothing to us. You Westerners probably think of us as little people too yeah? You really only care about yourselves. Do human rights only matter if its your people?
Please book a flight to the Philippines and tell the grieving families that Duterte is nothing but a “little guy” and his crimes never mattered.
And if you think this is all just in the past, I bet you aren’t even aware that his daughter is literally the vice president right now who’s looking to run for president in 2028. Hmmm…
We’re all little people. We all could do something about it, yet we don’t. ICC? UN? Why the fuck do you need it to do your justice for you?
Fuck off with your bullshit. All of these are our own countries and yet we do nothing and need the UN to act? The blame is none but our own.
Why the fuck do you need it to do your justice for you?
Once again. You don’t understand Philippine politics. You should look at the list of people sitting in government right now and check their relations with the Duterte family. Did you not read the last sentence? Are you not aware of how many of his goons and cronies are in senate?
And they all just watched him being taken away. No war, no military response. Please, politics is politics regardless of the region in the world.
So you’re also not aware that it was the PNP that arrested him? The government was notified of the warrant and simply complied. The current administration is split between two families of dictators (Marcos and Duterte) in case you didn’t know.
It’s only been hours since Duterte was arrested. Who knows what’s going to happen?
I’m unaware of anything in this case other than it’s ugly in every way.
Dude is awful, but why’d the ICC wait this long? Oh, you say he was given away on a silver platter!? Seems ICC didn’t even do anything but receive him into custody…
Is my starting comment wrong? Guess it doesn’t even matter at this point. The less people have of something, the more they’re desperate to defend it. And justice is just too sparse these days…
Anyway, he deserves it. But I don’t like how it’s getting done. Personal preference probably…
but why’d the ICC wait this long?
Who knows? Investigation only started toward the end of his term. Duterte was in position until 2022 and even made the Philippines withdraw from the ICC sometime during his term. Since you don’t know, his family has strained relationships lately with the Marcos family (another influential family that committed human rights abuses in the 1970s-80s). The current president happens to be Bongbong Marcos. The way some people see it, it looked like a golden opportunity for Marcos
I’m not here to praise the ICC – they’re very slow and I’m aware of their biases. Nor am I here to praise Marcos for cooperating with them so he can destabilize his political opponent. There’s a lot of gray areas and it’s really complex. The issue is very fresh. Nobody knows what’s going to happen next. We can only speculate. It’s a developing issue.
Anyway, please trust me when I say that Philippine politics is very complicated and messy. I believe it’s true for many countries but as someone who was born in the Philippines as a Filipino and witnessed the Duterte term, I can say that I know my country more than anyone here on Lemmy. Saying things like he’s “little people” and “weak” or “powerless” is completely wrong and offensive to those who suffered. Even while he’s arrested, the Duterte family is still very powerful.
Honestly, if you had worded your first comment as a critique against the ICC for not doing enough and left out downplaying the crimes of Duterte, you wouldn’t have offended so many people. I understand your frustration now, but I hope you understand mine too.
“Weak and powerless” Lol, that man is still influential in the Phillippines. And by no means poor. But okay, you can have a little extrajudicial killings of addicted people as a treat.
That’s compared to you and me. But he was arrested, so all of that wealth and influence were worthless to him.
And extrajudicial or intrajudicial, killing is killing. I’d just wish the bodies in charge wouldn’t be so picky about those they target for punishment.
That ratfucker casually dropped this: "Hitler massacred 3 million Jews. Now, there are 3 million drug addicts … I’d be happy to slaughter them."
He got off lightly.
Dude, seriously? You’re berating them for only arresting the tyrannical ex-president of the Philippines who murdered tens of thousands on false pretenses – the “little guy” (emphasis on the scare quotes) – and not the leader of a global nuclear superpower and the leader of a regional nuclear power backed almost unconditionally by the country with the largest military on Earth – both of whom have active ICC arrest warrants? Are you drunk?
Are you drunk?
Yes I am.
Nobody, and I mean nobody, hates Filipinos more than @lath@lemmy.world. If it was up to him, they’d all be dead!
LMAO, what my dude?! WTF are you on?
