Manila, Philippines – On March 11, 2025, former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was arrested and transferred to the Hague, Netherlands via an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court.
This is in relation to the alleged extra judicial killings committed under his war on drugs campaign.
Duterte and his supporters refuse to acknowledge the legality of the arrest, referring to it as kidnapping—citing the Philippines withdrawal from the Rome Statute in 2019.
On February 2026, the Pre-Trial Chamber I conducted the confirmation of charges hearding, which will be the basis for the formal filing of the case and start of a trial.
A day before the anniversary of the arrest, Senator Imee Marcos filed a resolution asking the Senate to urge the executive branch to diclose the details regarding the Philippines’ cooperation with ICC in regards to Duterte’s arrest.
This comes after Ombudsman Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla’s statement of having met former Senator Antonio Trillanes and ICC personnel regarding witness protection, despite initially saying that the government did not assist the court’s arrest.
Under Senate Resolution No. 340, Marcos seeks full disclosure of all the communications, agreements, authorizations, requests, and operational directives regarding ICC cooperation in relation to Duterte’s arrest and transfer.
She likewise asks for the issuance of a categorical clarification on the official policy of the Philippines about cooperation with the ICC.
This is aside from acknowledging that the government committed violations on Duterte’s rights and hold those involved accountable, and redress the mistakes and act on Duterte’s repatriation.
She further added that the judiciary branh of the Philippines should not be bypassed, and that the government shall refrain from committing unconstitutional acts in future ICC arrest warrants.
In a statement, Marcos argued that this is a way to regain the public’s trust with its own justice system.—Mia Layaguin, Eurotv News