Filipinos expressed gratitude to the International Criminal Court (ICC) online after reports of former president Rodrigo Duterte’s arrest over his “War on Drugs” campaign.
The Palace confirmed on Tuesday, March 11, that Interpol (International Criminal Police Organization) Manila had received the arrest warrant for Duterte related to crimes against humanity, which was served by ICC Prosecutor General Anthony Fadullon.
READ: Duterte arrested at ICC’s request over ‘drugs war’, government says
Duterte is in police custody, Malacañang said.
The former president arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport at 9:20 a.m. from their trip to Hong Kong.
A heavy police presence was observed at the main gateway amid Duterte’s expected arrival.
The Palace said that he and his companions were in good health, having been checked by government doctors, and assured the public that the former president was in stable condition.
Malacañang also said that officials of the Philippine National Police who served the warrant were equipped with body cameras.
As of Tuesday morning, the police were enforcing strict security at the PNP Custodial Center at Camp Crame, one of the possible detention areas for Duterte after he was taken into police custody upon his arrival.
Following reports of his arrest, some Filipinos took to social media to express gratitude to the ICC for acting on the case.
“Thank you, International Criminal Court and Philippine National Police! Let that criminal Rodrigo Duterte rot in hell,” a Pinoy said on the X (formerly Twitter) platform.
“Ikukulong na ang Budol king administration. No to Pro-China and Thank you, ICC! #Arrest,” another X user commented.
“Thank you, International Criminal Court – ICC, for pursuing justice for the innocent!” a Facebook user wrote with a folded hands emoji.
“Finally! The long wait is over! Magkakaroon na ng hustisya ang mga biktima ng extrajudicial killings (EJK) ni Digong!” another Facebook user said.
“Matatahimik na ang kaluluwa sa mga pinatay niya at ng kanyang Davao Death Squad, at sa mga biktima ng EJK na kanyang ipina-TOKHANG. Magkakaroon na ng hustisya si Kian de los Reyes at lahat na mga inosenteng bata na pinatay ng mga pulis dahil sa order ni Digong to ‘Kill, kill, kill!’ sa kanyang fake war against drugs!” she added.
“Minus one na ang mga demonyo sa Pilipinas. That’s justice enough. Salamat, ICC! Thank you, God of Justice!” the online user continued.
Forensic pathologist Raquel Fortun, who helped families and relatives of those victimized by Duterte’s extrajudicial killings, also thanked the ICC following the developments.
“Thank you, thank you, @IntlCrimCourt,” she wrote on the X platform, tagging the ICC’s account.
Her post has earned 1,100 likes so far.
When an online user thanked her for her aid to the EJK victims, the forensic expert commented: “We have a long way to go.”
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The bloody ‘War on Drugs’
Duterte’s arrest is seen as a form of vindication for the families of the victims of his bloody anti-narcotics campaign that left an estimated number of 12,000 to 30,000 people dead between July 2016 and March 2019, according to the ICC.
The government, however, only acknowledged around 6,248 deaths from the “War on Drugs.”
A human rights group reported that the brutal campaign resulted in the deaths of at least 122 children, who they claimed were killed either as direct targets, proxies, as a result of mistakes, or as “collateral damage.”
For years, the ICC has received complaints and testimonies from individuals and groups demanding Duterte’s indictment for thousands of deaths linked to his drug war.
The Philippines withdrew from the court’s foundational treaty, the Rome Statute, during Duterte’s administration. However, the ICC may still investigate the alleged “crimes against humanity of murder” in the country, as these events occurred when Manila was still a party to the statute.
The ICC’s investigation also includes the Davao Death Squad (DDS) killings that occurred between Nov. 1, 2011, and June 30, 2016, during Duterte’s tenure as mayor and vice mayor of the city.
Duterte had previously expressed his willingness to face arrest by the ICC, daring the court to come to the Philippines before his death.
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