Rodrigo Duterte

Philippine ex-leader Duterte long defiant on deadly drug war

Before he was elected president of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte already was nicknamed "The Punisher" and "Duterte Harry" for his years-long and often violent campaign against drug offenders as mayor of his hometown of Davao. He promised to take his take-no-prisoners style of law and order to the whole of the Philippines, and his rhetoric resonated. He was swept to power with 40% of the vote in the 2016 presidential election. "Forget the laws on human rights. If I make it to the presidentia...

March 11, 2025 11:14 AM

Philippines’ ex-President Duterte arrested at ICC’s request over ‘drugs war’ killings

The Philippines' firebrand former leader Rodrigo Duterte was arrested on Tuesday at the request of the International Criminal Court, a major step in its investigation into thousands of alleged extrajudicial killings in a bloody "war on drugs" that defined his presidency. Duterte was served an Interpol arrest warrant on his arrival at Manila's main airport and was in custody, the office of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said in a statement. The "war on drugs" was Duterte's signature campaign pol...