Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was arrested at Manila's international airport on Tuesday, following orders from the International Criminal Court (ICC) related to a crime against humanity case, according to Philippine officials.

Authorities took Duterte into custody upon his return from Hong Kong, acting on ICC directives. The former leader, now elderly, faces charges of "the crime against humanity" over a crackdown in which human rights groups estimate that law enforcement and vigilantes killed tens of thousands of poor men, often without proof of their involvement in narcotics.

The presidential office announced, "Early in the morning, Interpol Manila received the official copy of the arrest warrant from the ICC". They confirmed that "as of now, he is under the custody of authorities." The announcement also mentioned that "the former president and his group are in good health and are being checked by government doctors".

The ICC is investigating drug-related deaths that occurred under Duterte’s rule, starting from November 1, 2011, when he was mayor of Davao, until March 16, 2019. The probe focuses on whether these incidents constitute crimes against humanity. In 2019, Duterte pulled the Philippines out of the Rome Statute, a move that human rights advocates see as an attempt to escape accountability for the killings. Later, in 2021, his administration tried to stop the ICC’s investigation, arguing that Philippine authorities were already investigating the same allegations. They also challenged the court’s jurisdiction, insisting that the ICC should only intervene if a country fails to act independently.

In July 2023, ICC appeals judges ruled to continue the investigation, rejecting the Duterte administration’s objections. The ICC, based in The Hague, Netherlands, steps in when countries fail or refuse to prosecute individuals accused of serious international crimes like genocide, war crimes, or crimes against humanity. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who took office after Duterte in 2022 and later became politically opposed to him, decided not to rejoin the ICC. However, his government signalled that it would cooperate if the ICC issued a Red Notice, which allows international law enforcement to find and temporarily arrest Duterte.