Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, once known as the tough-talking leader who waged a brutal war on drugs, was arrested in Manila on Tuesday under an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant. His six-year presidency (2016-2022) was defined by a crackdown that left thousands of Filipinos dead—many in controversial circumstances.
A Vow to Kill: Duterte’s Campaign Promise
Long before his presidency, Duterte had built a reputation as “The Punisher” during his tenure as mayor of Davao City. His rise to national power was fueled by incendiary speeches and an iron-fisted approach to crime.
“Forget the laws on human rights. If I make it to the presidential palace, I will do just what I did as mayor. You drug pushers, hold-up men, and do-nothings, you better go out. Because I’d kill you,” Reuters quoted Duterte on the campaign trail.
His promise to eradicate crime through extreme measures resonated with many Filipinos. Speaking to Reuters during his campaign, he even suggested a quota: “I say let’s kill five criminals every week, so they will be eliminated.”
A Nationwide Crackdown Begins
Duterte wasted no time delivering on his promise. Soon after his inauguration on June 30, 2016, the streets were flooded with bodies.
By the end of that year, police had killed more than 2,000 people in drug-related operations. Most were labeled as suspects who “fought back,” though human rights groups and investigative journalists later disputed these accounts.
Despite international condemnation, Duterte remained wildly popular. A December 2016 poll by Social Weather Stations showed a staggering 77% of Filipinos were satisfied with his leadership.
Journalists risked their lives to expose the dark realities behind the official numbers. In 2018, Reuters reporters won a Pulitzer Prize for their investigative work, which included obtaining security footage that contradicted police reports on so-called shootout killings.
The Final Death Toll: An Underreported Massacre?
By the time Duterte left office in 2022, police had officially recorded 6,200 deaths in anti-drug operations. However, human rights organizations argued that the real toll was much higher. Activists estimate that as many as 30,000 people—primarily poor urban dwellers—were slain, many of them marked on government “watch lists.”
Duterte never wavered in his defense of the campaign. He insisted that police only killed in self-defense. But investigations told a different story.
Families of victims, supported by journalists, exhumed bodies and compared forensic evidence with death certificates. Disturbingly, dozens of cases showed discrepancies: certificates often listed natural causes, even when bullet holes in skulls told a different story. In one instance, a death certificate claimed pneumonia, but the exhumed body bore clear signs of execution.
ICC Investigation: Justice Catches Up
The ICC first signaled its interest in Duterte’s war on drugs in February 2018, announcing a preliminary investigation into the killings. In response, Duterte quickly moved to withdraw the Philippines from the ICC—a move that took effect in March 2019.
However, the ICC retained jurisdiction over crimes committed while the country was still a member. In 2021, the investigation was briefly suspended after the Philippine government argued that its own judicial system was addressing the issue. But in 2023, the ICC resumed its probe, citing a lack of genuine domestic accountability.
Initially, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s administration refused to cooperate. But by late 2024, it signaled a shift in stance, with the justice minister stating in January that the government was open to working with the ICC.
Duterte in Custody: What Happens Next?
Now, with Duterte behind bars, the world watches as the former president faces potential prosecution for crimes against humanity. For the families of the victims, his arrest marks a long-awaited step toward justice.
Whether he will stand trial in The Hague remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: the era of impunity that defined his rule is over.
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