Arrest of murderous former Filipino president Rodrigo Duterte a welcome blow for justice

A step towards justice for those mourning thousands of people killed in the Philippines 'war on drugs' 

Former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte operated a 'war on drugs' in the country which saw death squads carry out violence on a scale that shocked the world. File photo: AP/Aaron Favila

The arrest of Rodrigo Duterte, who served as president of the Philippines between 2016 and 2022, for crimes against humanity for his part in the country’s violent “war on drugs” is a welcome blow against impunity. 

Duterte was arrested on March 11 by Interpol, which was carrying out an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) charging him with crimes against humanity. It’s a step, at least, towards justice for the families of the victims of thousands of extra-judicial killings – maybe tens of thousands. Nobody knows exactly how many.