03/11/2025
From
On March 11, 2025, former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was arrested on a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC), which is investigating him for crimes against humanity. The warrant and subsequent arrest are a victory of the Filipino people and their pursuit for justice.
The US-backed Duterte government (2016 - 2022) gained international infamy through its extremely bloody “war on drugs,” which was essentially a war on the poor. His administration was responsible for more than 30,000 extrajudicial killings, including those of minors. Duterte also cracked down on all form of legal activism and dissent, effectively establishing de facto martial law in the Philippines.
These grave human rights and International Humanitarian Law (IHL) violations were further exposed by the overwhelming amount of evidence presented by the Filipino people to the International People Tribunals (IPTs) of 2018 and 2024, to the United Nations Human Rights Committee (UNHRC), as well as other venues. These findings were supported by the international community through investigations during International Fact Finding Missions and peoples’ initiatives such as Investigate PH.
With Duterte’s arrest there comes an urgent responsibility for the international community to help the Filipino people ensure he does not escape justice. As a former president backed by the US, his deep-rooted connections to US imperialism, the military and the broader Philippine political landscape through his political dynasty pose a risk to achieving full accountability. Despite the contradictions between the 2 ruling factions—which have become more glaring in the lead-up to the 2025 mid-term elections—Marcos has consistently shielded Rodrigo Duterte from prosecution since the beginning of his own presidency, likely fearing a similar fate for himself. His actions make him complicit in Duterte’s prolonged avoidance of arrest. We must be vigilant of any efforts to escape justice and sustain pressure for Duterte’s immediate prosecution and conviction. [continued in comments and on ffps.info]
