by Stefan Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent
MANILA (Worthy News) – The Philippines’ former President Rodrigo Duterte has been detained after The Hague-based International Criminal Court (ICC) issued a warrant for his arrest for his “war on drugs,” according to footage seen by Worthy News.
The former leader, who will turn 80 this month, is accused by ICC prosecutors of crimes against humanity over his anti-drugs crackdowns, in which as many as 30,000 people were reportedly killed.
Most of the victims were men in poor, urban areas who were gunned down in the streets, according to investigators.
The president’s office said Duterte was arrested early Tuesday at Manila airport after flying back from Hong Kong. “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.”
A video uploaded by his daughter Veronica and obtained by Worthy News shows Duterte sitting in what appeared to be the Villamor Air Base after he landed at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) from Hong Kong.
“What is the law, and what is the crime that I committed? Explain to me now the legal basis for my being here as apparently I was brought here not of my own volition. It’s somebody else’s,” the former president asked those questioning him.
‘DEPRIVATION OF LIBERTY’
“You have to answer now for the deprivation of liberty… Have you read the case at the time you made the arrest so that you should be guided on what you should know?” Duterte demanded.
Earlier, before departing Hong Kong, Duterte said that there was no need for thousands of police to gather at the NAIA as he could simply submit himself to arresting authorities.
Duterte became president in 2016 after promising a merciless, bloody crackdown that would rid the country of drugs.
During his election campaign, he once said there would be so many bodies dumped in Manila Bay that fish would grow fat from feeding on them. After taking office, he publicly threatened to kill suspected drug dealers and urged the public to kill people with an addiction.
Since his election, between 12,000 and 30,000 civilians are estimated to have been killed in connection with anti-drug operations, according to data cited by the ICC.
Even as his crackdowns provoked global horror, he remained highly popular at home throughout his presidency. His daughter, Sara Duterte, is the current vice president.
Copyright 1999-2025 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
Latest News from Worthy News
The U.S. military struck a second vessel in international waters on Monday, killing three people alleged to be Venezuelan “narcoterrorists” transporting illegal drugs, President Donald Trump announced.
The long-anticipated Israeli ground invasion of Gaza City erupted late Monday night, with IDF tanks rolling into the heart of the city in what Palestinian sources described as the most intense fighting in northern Gaza in two years.
Christians in Pakistan tell Worthy News they are reeling after two shocking incidents — the murder of three believers in Islamabad and the forced removal of a kidney from a Christian laborer in Faisalabad — which advocacy group LEAD Ministries Pakistan says highlight systemic abuse of religious minorities.
U.S. President Donald J. Trump has urged American companies to stop publishing quarterly financial reports, pointing to China’s “long-term approach” as a model, although it is a Communist-ruled nation. He suggested that moving to semi-annual disclosures would cut costs and allow executives to focus on growth rather than short-term market pressures.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accepted “full responsibility” for an airstrike in Qatar that killed Hamas operatives, while the United States reaffirmed support for his campaign to dismantle the designated terror group, despite Washington’s reservations over the recent attack.
A government ban on major social media platforms that enraged young Nepalis has spiraled into the country’s deadliest political violence in decades, with authorities saying Sunday that at least 72 people have been killed and hundreds more injured during protests reflecting years of frustration over corruption, inequality, and “curbs on freedoms.”
Throughout the Hill Country, crosses, words of Jesus, prayers and messages of hope are written on memorials honoring nearly 150 killed from the catastrophic July 4 flash flood.