BUTUAN CITY – Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was arrested on March 11, 2025, following a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged crimes against humanity related to his controversial war on drugs.
The 15-page arrest warrant was signed by three distinguished ICC judges:
Iulia Antoanella Motoc, Reine Alapini-Gansou, and Socorro Flores Liera.
Judge Motoc, an expert in international law and human rights, previously served at the European Court of Human Rights and the Constitutional Court of Romania.
Judge Gansou, known for her extensive work on human rights in Africa, chaired the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, while Judge Liera, a former Mexican diplomat, has deep experience in international criminal law.
The charges against Duterte stem from his six-year crackdown, which reportedly led to thousands of extrajudicial killings.
DUTERTE’S CASE: BRIEF BACKGROUND
The case against former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte stems from his controversial war on drugs, which lasted from 2016 to 2022 and allegedly resulted in thousands of extrajudicial killings.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) launched an investigation into the violent crackdown, accusing Duterte of committing crimes against humanity.
The ICC’s probe focuses on the systematic killings of suspected drug offenders by police and vigilantes under Duterte’s administration, despite widespread international condemnation.
In March 2025, the court issued a 15-page arrest warrant for Duterte, with three ICC judges—Iulia Antoanella Motoc, Reine Alapini-Gansou, and Socorro Flores Liera—signing the order, signaling the seriousness of the charges and the court’s commitment to holding him accountable.
