Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity, was flown to The Hague hours after being arrested in Manila on Tuesday.
An ICC warrant obtained by Reuters accuses Duterte of criminal responsibility for the murder of at least 43 people between 2011 and 2019, during his tenure as mayor of Davao City and later as president from 2016 to 2022, as part of his war on drugs.
Duterte had requested that his trial be held in a Philippine court. “If I committed a sin, prosecute me in Philippine courts,” he told police officers while in custody in Manila.
Here’s what we know about Duterte’s war on drugs and the reactions of victims’ families.
What was Duterte’s ‘war on drugs’?
Rodrigo Duterte earned his reputation as “the punisher” during his more than 20 years as mayor of Davao, though his tenure was intermittent. During this time, over 1,000 people, including suspected drug users and dealers, were killed. Human rights organizations accused Duterte of running a “death squad” as mayor, a position he held until his last term ended in 2016.
His promise to launch a nationwide crackdown on drug gangs became a central theme of his successful 2016 presidential campaign.
Shortly after taking office on June 30, 2016, Duterte vowed to solve the country’s illegal drug problem within six months. “I don’t care about human rights, believe me,” he later declared.
He also assured soldiers and police of immunity from prosecution for deaths occurring in the line of duty.
On July 1, 2016, the first full day of his presidency, police conducted anti-drug operations nationwide, killing at least 12 people and initiating a six-year campaign that would leave around 7,000 dead, including women and children.
By December 2016, over 5,000 people had been killed, including 2,041 drug suspects slain in police operations, according to Al Jazeera. The remaining victims were killed by unknown gunmen, some of whom were later identified as police officers.
In the early months of Duterte’s presidency, many victims were found bound and dumped in polluted creeks, garbage sites, and grasslands.
By the end of his term in 2022, human rights advocates and the ICC estimated that around 30,000 people were killed by police and unidentified individuals. However, police only reported 7,000 deaths during operations, excluding those killed by unknown perpetrators.
What was the public’s reaction to the war on drugs?
Throughout his presidency, Duterte maintained high public approval ratings, enabling him to advance his brutal anti-drug campaign.
In 2016, he had an 86 percent approval rating, which remained at 73 percent by the end of his term in 2022, according to a Pulse Asia survey.
Duterte’s statements about his drug war were often met with public support. In 2017, he received applause from a national assembly of legislators when he said he could not prevent poor people from being killed in the campaign. He also criticized the media for portraying victims as “saints” and “innocent people.”
A 2017 Amnesty International report found that most victims lived below the poverty line. Police officers admitted to receiving $150 to $300 for each drug suspect killed, creating an “incentive to kill.”
Surviving Duterte’s war on drugs
While many victims of the drug war died, some survived to recount police executions and abuse.
In September 2016, Francisco Santiago Jr told Al Jazeera that he and another man were detained by police in Manila, taken to a dark alley, and shot multiple times. Santiago’s companion, George Huggins, was killed, but Santiago played dead and survived. His testimony was later included in the ICC complaint.
In 2018, Roger Herrero, a father of four, was shot by police at point-blank range, shattering his jaw. Accused of robbery and fleeing on a motorcycle, Herrero’s wife revealed he did not know how to ride one. Herrero played dead and sought help after police left.
In 2017, the Commission on Human Rights discovered a hidden cell in a Manila police station with 12 detainees. There was no record of their arrest, and families were not notified. The complaint against the officers was dismissed in 2021.
Children not spared
By June 2020, an estimated 129 children had been killed in Duterte’s drug war, according to a Reuters report citing an activist group.
One of the youngest victims was three-year-old Myca Ulpina, killed in a 2019 raid targeting her father. Police claimed she was used as a “shield.”
On Negros Island, four-year-old Althea Fhem Barbon was killed when police fired at her and her father on a motorbike. Police alleged her father was a drug dealer.
One of the most high-profile cases was the killing of 17-year-old Kian delos Santos in 2017. Witnesses said he pleaded with police to let him go as he was studying for exams. CCTV footage showed police dragging the unarmed teenager before he was shot dead.
Days later, police were accused of abducting two teenagers in Manila. The elder victim, Carl Arnaiz, was shot dead during a chase.
What’s the reaction from families of victims, rights groups?
Llore Pasco, whose two sons were killed in an alleged police operation, expressed mixed emotions after Duterte’s arrest. “I felt so nervous and scared, but also excited,” she said. “At long last, after so many years of waiting, it’s happening.”
Pasco’s sons, Crisanto and Juan Carlos, went missing in May 2017. The family learned of their deaths from television the next day, accused of robbery. Pasco believes her sons were victims of a police rubout. Her testimony was included in the ICC filings in 2021.
Jane Lee, wife of a drug war victim, said Duterte’s arrest highlights the inequality in the Philippine justice system. “Duterte is only being arrested now. But our family members were executed right away,” she said. “I want to see Duterte in jail.”
Did the Philippines withdraw from the ICC?
Duterte announced the Philippines’ withdrawal from the ICC in March 2019, shortly after the court initiated a preliminary investigation into the drug war deaths in February 2018.
Under ICC rules, the court retains jurisdiction over crimes committed during a state’s membership period, even after withdrawal.
The ICC investigation was suspended in 2021 but resumed in 2023 due to dissatisfaction with Philippine efforts to deliver justice.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr’s government initially refused to cooperate with the ICC but reversed its stance in late 2024, agreeing to comply with any arrest warrant. Analysts attribute this shift to Marcos Jr’s strained relationship with Vice President Sara Duterte, Rodrigo Duterte’s daughter.
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