MWE Correspondent
The Philippine National Police (PNP) is reportedly preparing for the possibility that the International Criminal Court (ICC) will issue an arrest warrant against former President Rodrigo Duterte, in connection with his administration’s bloody anti-narcotics campaign.
The Court, based in The Hague, has been investigating Duterte’s role in what has widely been described as a “war on drugs”, launched in 2016 after he assumed office. While his government claimed the crackdown aimed to eradicate drug trafficking, human rights organizations estimate that thousands were killed—many allegedly by police or vigilantes without trial.
Duterte withdrew the Philippines from the Rome Statute—the ICC’s founding treaty—in 2019. However, the ICC maintains jurisdiction over acts committed while the Philippines was still a state party, until its formal exit took effect in 2020.
Senior officials within the PNP told reporters that the force is developing contingency protocols to respond in case the ICC moves forward. This includes coordination with Interpol and enhanced surveillance of exit routes, amid fears that Duterte or associates might attempt to leave the country to evade legal consequences.
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“We are under obligation to uphold international commitments and follow domestic procedures. If a legal instrument is issued, we will comply,” one high-ranking police official told local media on condition of anonymity.
Duterte, long known for his controversial remarks and open defiance of global criticism, has dismissed the ICC’s actions as a foreign intrusion into Philippine sovereignty. In 2018, he famously told the ICC to “go to hell.”
His supporters, including several members of Congress, argue that the Court is being used as a political weapon. However, international experts note that the ICC’s move could mark a historic precedent in holding leaders accountable beyond national borders.
In a parallel development, the ICC also confirmed that Joseph Kony, the fugitive Ugandan warlord and leader of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), will face a landmark trial in absentia beginning in September 2025—highlighting the Court’s evolving stance on enforcement even when suspects are not in custody.
Duterte, now a private citizen and largely absent from the political spotlight, has yet to issue a statement. However, his legal team is expected to challenge any move by the ICC, potentially triggering a long diplomatic and judicial battle.
