After daring ICC to investigate, Duterte refuses arrest: ‘You will just have to kill me’

MANILA, Philippines — Former President Rodrigo Duterte once dared the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate him in the Philippines over his bloody war on drugs.

But right before stepping off the plane from a weekend trip to Hong Kong, his tone shifted. Facing officials, he said: “You will just have to kill me.”

Duterte arrived in the Philippines on Tuesday, March 11, greeted by several police personnel at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

He was served the ICC arrest warrant by the Prosecutor General, according to the Presidential Communications Office (PCO).  

This follows days of speculation about a possible arrest warrant in the ICC’s investigation into Duterte’s war on drugs and its related extrajudicial killings.

Human rights groups and the ICC estimate the number of extrajudicial killings at 12,000 to 30,000, while official data records over 6,000 arbitrary deaths tied to the drug war.

In a contributed video sent to the media, Duterte said he refuses to be arrested, especially by officials aligned with Western powers.

“Hindi ako papayag kung kakampi ka riyan sa mga puti (I will not allow it if you're siding with those Westerners),” the former president said. 

PNP-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) Chief Nicholas Torre III said that a representative from the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) was also present at the airport.

The PCO also confirmed that the Interpol Manila received the warrant of arrest’s official copy from the ICC early Tuesday morning. 

However, it can also be recalled that Duterte had challenged the ICC to “hurry up” when he attended as a resource person at the House Quad Committee’s probe into his drug war. 

“I’m asking the ICC to hurry up. This issue has been left hanging for so many years. Matagal, Ma’am, baka mamatay na ako hindi na nila ako maimbestigahan,” he said on Nov. 13, 2024. 
(It’s taking a long time, Ma’am, I might be dead before they’re able to investigate me.)

RELATED: 'Hurry up': Ex-president Duterte calls for ICC investigation into drug war before his death

Not the first time

This, however, was not the only instance where his reaction today clashed with his past statements.

Duterte’s refusal to accept the arrest warrant marked a sharp reversal from his remarks in Hong Kong, where he claimed he was “ready” to be detained.

“If this is truly my fate, it’s okay, I will accept it. They can arrest me, imprison me,” he told a crowd at a campaign rally attended by overseas Filipino workers.

He made this remark despite insisting he had not “sinned,” claiming his actions were for the country and to bring peace to Filipinos.

Yet Duterte contradicted himself again, having repeatedly stated during a congressional probe that he should take the fall for the “shortcomings” of his drug war.  

“For all of its (war on drugs) successes and shortcomings, I and I alone take full legal responsibility sa lahat ng nagawa ng pulis pursuant to my order. Ako ang malagot at ako ang makulong, ‘wag yung pulis na sumunod sa order ko,” Duterte said during the Senate probe on Oct. 28, 2024.
(For all its successes and shortcomings, I and I alone take full legal responsibility for everything the police did pursuant to my orders. I should be held accountable and jailed, not the officers who followed my orders.)

Congressional probe's findings

The Quad Comm hearings on the drug war have given families of extrajudicial killing (EJK) victims a platform to share their experiences — losing loved ones without due process. Many recalled being told that drug suspects were killed for “nanlaban” or resisting arrest.

Police officials appointed by Duterte himself testified in the investigation that rewards were given for every drug suspect killed. Duterte has since denied this, admitting only that extra funds were allocated for anti-drug operations.

In its report, the mega panel recommended that the Department of Justice (DOJ) file charges against Duterte following revelations from its hearings.

With the ICC’s arrest warrant for crimes against humanity, Duterte has become the first former Philippine president to be arrested by the international tribunal.