March 11, 2025 – Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was arrested today at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3, becoming the first ex-leader of the country detained under an International Criminal Court (ICC) order.
The Philippine National Police (PNP) acted on an Interpol warrant tied to alleged crimes against humanity from his “war on drugs,” which resulted in thousands of deaths.
The arrest follows years of domestic and international scrutiny, including high-profile congressional hearings in the Philippines that exposed details of the campaign’s brutality.
The arrest unfolded swiftly. At 10:00 AM PST, PNP forces, led by CIDG Director General Nicolas Torre III, served Duterte the Interpol warrant at NAIA Terminal 3.
Police restricted media access as he was detained with allies, including Senator Bong Go. PCO Undersecretary Claire Castro said doctors checked Duterte, confirming his health, and body cameras recorded the process.
By 11:00 AM, he was moved to Villamor Air Base under tight security. His current location is undisclosed as of 11:30 AM PST.
Timeline of Events
- May 9, 1988: Duterte begins his first term as Davao City mayor, a role he holds intermittently until 2016, during which the “Davao Death Squad” is linked to hundreds of deaths.
- November 1, 2011: ICC jurisdiction over the Philippines begins under the Rome Statute, later covering alleged crimes in Davao.
- May 9, 2016: Duterte wins the presidential election with 16.6 million votes.
- June 30, 2016: Duterte is inaugurated as president and launches the drug war, with over 1,000 deaths reported in the first two months.
- August 22, 2016: The Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights, chaired by Senator Leila de Lima, opens an inquiry into extrajudicial killings in the drug war, hearing from witnesses like Edgar Matobato, who alleges Duterte ordered killings as mayor.
- September 19, 2016: De Lima is ousted as committee chair, replaced by Senator Richard Gordon, after pressure from Duterte allies; the probe stalls.
- October 13, 2016: ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda expresses concern over drug war killings.
- August 24, 2017: A Senate hearing addresses the police killing of 17-year-old Kian Loyd Delos Santos, exposing police failures to protect civilians; no significant action follows.
- February 8, 2018: Bensouda opens a preliminary ICC examination into the drug war.
- March 14, 2018: Duterte announces the Philippines’ withdrawal from the ICC.
- March 17, 2019: The withdrawal takes effect; ICC retains jurisdiction over prior crimes.
- May 31, 2019: Police report 6,600 drug war deaths since 2016, with human rights groups estimating up to 20,000.
- June 14, 2021: Bensouda requests a full ICC investigation into killings from 2011 to 2019.
- September 15, 2021: ICC Pre-Trial Chamber approves the investigation.
- June 30, 2022: Duterte’s presidency ends; Ferdinand Marcos Jr. takes office.
- January 26, 2023: ICC rejects the Philippines’ appeal to stop the probe.
- July 18, 2023: Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla says the government won’t block Interpol on ICC arrests.
- August 12, 2024: The House of Representatives forms the Quad Committee (Quadcomm), combining the committees on Dangerous Drugs, Human Rights, Public Accounts, and Public Order and Safety, to investigate drug war killings, POGOs, and drug trade links.
- August 16, 2024: Quadcomm holds its first hearing in Quezon City, hearing from police officials and victims’ families.
- October 22, 2024: Duterte skips a Quadcomm hearing, citing health issues via a letter from his lawyer.
- October 28, 2024: Duterte attends a Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing in Quezon City, admitting to maintaining a death squad of “gangsters” in Davao and taking “full legal responsibility” for the drug war, which he defends as protecting the country.
- November 13, 2024: Duterte appears at a Quadcomm hearing in Quezon City with over 100 EJK victims’ families present; he urges the ICC to “hurry up” with its probe.
- December 18, 2024: Quadcomm recommends crimes against humanity charges against Duterte, Senators Bong Go, and Ronald dela Rosa based on testimonies, including from police whistleblowers like Jovie Espenido.
- January 23, 2025: Remulla suggests limited ICC cooperation on pre-2019 crimes.
- March 6, 2025, 9:00 PM PST: Duterte flies from Davao to Manila on Philippine Airlines PR 2829.
- March 7, 2025, 1:00 AM PST: Duterte departs Manila for Hong Kong on Cathay Pacific CX 912.
- March 8, 2025, 10:00 AM HKT: Duterte is seen in Hong Kong’s Causeway Bay.
- March 8, 2025, 3:00 PM PST: Rappler reports an ICC arrest warrant issued for Duterte.
- March 9, 2025, 9:00 AM PST: PCO Secretary Jay Ruiz says the government heard of the warrant.
- March 9, 2025, 6:00 PM HKT: Duterte speaks at Southorn Stadium in Hong Kong, vowing to face arrest.
- March 10, 2025, 8:00 AM PST: The Manila Times reports PNP mobilizing for Duterte’s arrest.
- March 10, 2025, 2:00 PM HKT: Duterte tells media in Hong Kong he’ll return to Manila.
- March 11, 2025, 9:00 AM PST: Duterte lands at NAIA Terminal 3 on Cathay Pacific CX-907.
- March 11, 2025, 10:00 AM PST: PNP arrests Duterte at NAIA, led by CIDG Director General Nicolas Torre III.
- March 11, 2025, 11:00 AM PST: Duterte is moved to Villamor Air Base.
Congressional hearings played a key role in spotlighting the drug war’s toll.
The Quadcomm hearings, held at the House of Representatives in Quezon City starting August 16, 2024, featured testimony from police officials, like Colonel Lito Patay, and victims’ families, revealing a pattern of killings.
On October 28, 2024, Duterte’s Senate appearance before the Blue Ribbon Committee in Quezon City drew national attention when he admitted to a death squad and defended his actions.
The Quadcomm’s December 18, 2024, recommendation for charges against Duterte and allies, based on evidence like Espenido’s claims of a reward system, bolstered the ICC’s case, though the House refused to share findings directly with the ICC.
Earlier Senate probes, like the 2016 and 2017 hearings, had limited impact but documented abuses, such as Kian Loyd Delos Santos’ killing.
This is a developing story.
