Marcos: Duterte’s arrest a responsibility to international community

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday, March 11, said that the arrest of his predecessor, former president Rodrigo Duterte, was simply part of the Philippines' obligation to the international community.

In a late-night briefing, Marcos made it clear that while the Philippines is no longer a member of the International Criminal Court (ICC), it still has obligations to the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol).

“Mr. Duterte was arrested in compliance with our commitments to Interpol. Hours before his arrival, Interpol Manila received an official copy of the ICC warrant. This prompted the Prosecutor General of the Department of Justice to serve the warrant,” Marcos said.  

“Interpol asked for help, and we obliged because we have commitments to the Interpol which we have to fulfill. If we don’t do that, they will not – they will no longer help us with other cases involving Filipino fugitives abroad,” he added. 

Marcos said that the government cannot refuse a request from Interpol, emphasizing that the organization had previously assisted in cases involving ex-Bamban Mayor Alice Guo and former lawmaker Arnolfo Teves Jr., both of whom fled the Philippines to evade the law.

Asked about strong reactions of Duterte supporters regarding the former president’s arrest, Marcos explained that the government was simply enforcing the law.

“We are a member of the community of nations, we must live up to our responsibilities, to the commitment that we have made to the community of nations. And that is what happened here. Politics doesn’t enter into it,” the president said. 

Duterte is currently en route to the Hague to face the charges of crimes against humanity at the ICC. 

At the start of his term, Marcos was a strong defender of Duterte. However, as his presidency progressed, their relationship began to sour. One of the key moments in the growing rift was when Duterte publicly accused Marcos of being a drug addict.

The tension between the Duterte and Marcos families escalated further, with Vice President Sara Duterte admitting that she had hired a hitman to target Marcos and other members of his family in the event of her death.

Meanwhile, the Duterte patriarch has had mixed reactions regarding the ICC arrest. Initially, he expressed no fear and even urged the ICC to act sooner. However, as he made his way to The Hague, Duterte later stated that he would rather die than face arrest. His controversial "War on Drugs" campaign has been linked to at least 6,000 deaths, though human rights groups estimate the number could be as high as 30,000.