Inside chaotic ICC arrest of former Philippine leader Rodrigo Duterte

According to police sources, former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte stated "you have to kill me to take me to The Hague" during a chaotic arrest this week, threatening to sue a police general and refusing to be fingerprinted.

Mr. Duterte has been detained by the International Criminal Court (ICC). This comes after his arrest in Manila on Tuesday, where he faces charges of crimes against humanity related to his "war on drugs."

Prosecutors at the world's permanent war crimes tribunal accuse the 79-year-old former president of forming and arming death squads, which are believed to be responsible for the deaths of thousands of drug users and dealers during his tenure.

Police Major General Nicolas Torre revealed details of the 12-hour standoff that occurred during the arrest of the former leader. Mr. Duterte was detained after arriving at Manila's Ninoy Aquino International Airport with his common-law wife, daughter, and friends from Hong Kong.

Major General Torre stated that Mr. Duterte was subsequently taken under heavy police guard to a presidential lounge near Villamor Air Base for processing, including fingerprinting, before being put on a flight to The Hague. However, Mr. Duterte, along with his family, lawyers, and friends, resisted, preventing the former leader from being taken to the government charter for 12 hours.

Major General Torre said the former president, who had served as a government prosecutor and congressman, refused to comply with police registration procedures after his arrest. "The situation was very tense," he said. "One of my officers was hit hard on the head with a mobile phone by [Mr. Duterte's common-law wife], and his daughter cursed me with foul language, but I remained calm. We wanted him to be fingerprinted, but he refused."

Major General Torre said that the former president's executive secretary was also arrested and handcuffed for preventing Mr. Duterte's transfer to the plane. He said Mr. Duterte told the police: "You have to kill me to take me to The Hague."

Mr. Duterte's lawyers stated that Philippine authorities did not present any copies of the ICC arrest warrant and violated his constitutional rights. The legal team said that despite the Philippines no longer being a member state of the ICC, President Ferdinand Marcos's government allowed the international court to detain Mr. Duterte.

The former president's daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte, said on Tuesday: "Our own government has handed over a Filipino citizen—even a former president—to a foreign power. This is a blatant affront to our sovereignty and an insult to every Filipino who believes in our country's independence. This is not justice—this is oppression and persecution."

Shortly after Mr. Duterte was flown out, President Marcos appeared on national television, denying the vice president's accusations. This follows a deterioration in their relationship after their whirlwind political alliance as running mates in the 2022 election fractured.

Mr. Duterte may become the first former head of state in Asia to be tried at the International Criminal Court. He is awaiting his initial court appearance.

Mr. Duterte stated in Hong Kong on Monday that he was prepared to be arrested if the ICC issued a warrant and repeatedly defended the anti-drug operations. He has repeatedly told his supporters that he is prepared to "rot in jail" if it means eliminating illegal drugs in the Philippines. Mr. Duterte has denied ever ordering police to kill drug suspects unless in self-defense.

Decades ago, he rose to prominence for his handling of crime and frequent use of profanity, which became a hallmark of his political persona, especially when threatening to kill drug dealers as part of his war on illegal drugs.

During his presidency, Mr. Duterte was furious when Barack Obama criticized his crackdown on illegal drugs, telling him in a speech to "go to hell." In 2015, he expressed disgust at a massive traffic jam when Pope Francis visited Manila, calling the pontiff a "son of a whore," which shocked the predominantly Roman Catholic country. He later apologized after Philippine bishops expressed shock and outrage.

Lawyer Gilbert Andres, representing families of victims of drug-related killings, said that Mr. Duterte's arrival in The Hague feels like an answer to their prayers for victims of his "war on drugs." "They really didn't think that justice could still be served to someone as powerful as Rodrigo Duterte," he said.

The war on drugs was a signature platform of Mr. Duterte's campaign that won him the presidency in 2016. According to police, more than 6,000 suspects were killed in anti-drug operations during his six-year term. Activists say the actual death toll is much higher. The government admits that police investigations in the Philippines have been slow, and neither Mr. Duterte nor any of his senior police commanders have been charged with crimes locally.