Manila: Philippine police arrested former President Rodrigo Duterte at Manila International Airport on Tuesday following an order of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in a case of crimes against humanity. The Philippine government gave this information. The International Criminal Court had issued a warrant against Duterte in this case.
Philippine President issued a statement
A statement issued by the office of President Ferdinand Marcos said that Duterte was arrested after arriving from Hong Kong and the police detained him on the orders of the International Criminal Court. The International Criminal Court is investigating the mass killings that took place under the former president's action against illegal drugs.
The International Criminal Court is investigating
The International Criminal Court began investigating the killings as part of the anti-drug action during Duterte's tenure from November 1, 2011 to March 16, 2019. At the time of the incident, he was the mayor of the southern city of Davao. It was considered a possible crime against humanity. Duterte withdrew the Philippines from the 'Rome Act' in 2019. Human rights activists say the move was aimed at avoiding accountability for the killings.
The Philippines is different from the Rome Act
The 'Rome Act' of the International Criminal Court is the treaty under which the International Criminal Court was established. The Duterte administration proposed suspending the global court's investigation in late 2021, arguing that Philippine authorities were already investigating the same allegations and also said it did not fall under the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court.
The decision came in July 2023
In July 2023, appeals judges at the International Criminal Court ruled that the investigation could resume and overruled the Duterte administration's objections. The International Criminal Court, based in The Hague, Netherlands, can intervene when countries are unwilling or unable to prosecute suspects in the most heinous international crimes, including genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Intense political tension in the Philippines
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who succeeded Duterte in 2022, has had a bitter political dispute with the former president. Marcos has decided not to rejoin the global court. However, the Marcos administration has said it would cooperate if the International Criminal Court asks international police to detain Duterte through a so-called red notice.
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