Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was arrested in Manila on Tuesday. This came after the International Criminal Court issued a warrant for him, accusing him of crimes against humanity linked to his controversial war on drugs. Human rights groups claim that this campaign led to the deaths of tens of thousands of people, many of whom were innocent.
Duterte, who is 79 and left office in 2022, was detained at the airport upon returning from Hong Kong. His lawyer, Salvador Panelo, argued that the arrest is unlawful because the Philippines had previously withdrawn from the court during Duterte’s presidency.
Despite facing severe accusations, Duterte has remained a significant figure in Philippine politics and has avoided serious repercussions for his actions. However, his arrest might signal a crucial step toward justice for the thousands of victims and their families. Many of those killed were poor urban residents, including minors and individuals with no ties to drug activities.
To date, very few individuals have been held accountable for the roughly 30,000 killings reported during the drug war. Victims’ families have long awaited justice. For instance, Cristina Jumola, whose three sons were among those killed, expressed relief over Duterte’s arrest, saying, “I am very happy that Duterte has been arrested so we can finally have justice. We waited so long for this.”
Check out this related article: Ex-Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte Arrested: ICC Warrant Over Drug Killings Sparks Controversy
Source linkDuterte, Rodrigo,Philippines,Politics and Government,Human Rights and Human Rights Violations,Vigilantes
