Duterte Joins Rare Club of Ex-Leaders Arrested for ICC Case

Bloomberg’s Manolo Serapio Jr. talks about the implications of the arrest.Source: Bloomberg

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By Cliff Harvey Venzon and Neil Jerome Morales

March 11, 2025 at 3:17 AM UTC

Updated on

March 11, 2025 at 4:42 PM UTC

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Last weekend, Rodrigo Duterte rallied thousands of cheering Filipino migrant workers in Hong Kong on his first overseas trip in years. Upon his return to Manila on Tuesday, he joined a rare club of ex-leaders arrested for breaching international law.

Police greeted the former Philippine president at the airport to execute a warrant from Interpol after the International Criminal Court ordered his arrest following a probe into the deadly drug war that defined his rule. Video showed officers escorting the 79-year-old politician as he walked with a cane through the terminal.