TIMELINE: Former President Rodrigo Duterte’s ICC arrest

Former President of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte speaks inside the Southorn Stadium during a thanksgiving gathering organized by Hong Kong-based Filipino workers for the former populist president in Hong Kong on Sunday, March 9, 2025. | Associated Press

CEBU CITY, Philippines — At the age of 79, then President Rodrigo Duterte would become the first former Asian leader to be tried before the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Mr. Duterte traveled to The Hague in the Netherlands shortly after law enforcers in the country arrested and detained him at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) on Monday, March 11.

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The ICC charged the 16th President of the Philippines for committing crimes against humanity over his bloody campaign against illegal drugs.

The ex-Davao City mayor and former prosecutor won the presidency in 2016. His slogan had been rooted on two promises: massive change and eradication of criminals, particularly those involved in the illicit drugs trade.

The war on drugs was the signature campaign platform that swept to power the mercurial crime-buster nicknamed “the punisher”, who soon delivered on promises he made during vitriolic speeches that thousands of drug pushers would be killed.

Government recorded around 6,200 drug-related deaths since Mr. Duterte implemented his ‘war on drugs’ but experts, particularly human rights groups, believed the toll could reach 20,000.

Then on Monday, nearly a decade since it began, the ICC ordered the arrest of the former President, and to face trial in the Netherlands.

This timeline details former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s ascent to power and the ongoing ICC investigation into his war on drugs.

2016: Duterte’s Election and the Start of the Drug War

• May 9 – Mr. Rodrigo Duterte won the 2016 Philippine presidential election, securing over 16 million votes.

• June 30 – Inaugurated as the first Philippine president from Mindanao, ex-President Duterte vowed to eliminate crime and corruption within six months.

• July 1 – Duterte launched an aggressive nationwide anti-drug campaign, later known as the Philippine drug war. Government records list over 6,200 suspects killed, but human rights groups claim the real toll is significantly higher, citing police cover-ups and extrajudicial executions.

• October 13 – Then-ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda stated that her office was “closely following” developments in the Philippines as drug war deaths surged.

• November – Duterte threatened to withdraw from the ICC, calling it “useless” after Russia pulled out of the tribunal.

2017: ICC Complaint Filed Against Duterte

• April 24 – Lawyer Jude Sabio filed a case against Duterte at the ICC, accusing him of mass murder. Sabio represented Edgar Matobato, a self-proclaimed member of the Davao Death Squad (DDS), who alleged that Duterte orchestrated killings in Davao City as mayor.

• June 6 – Former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV and then-Magdalo party-list Representative Gary Alejano also filed a supplemental complaint, linking Duterte to widespread drug war-related killings.

2018: ICC Launches Preliminary Examination

• February – The ICC initiated a preliminary examination into alleged crimes against humanity related to Duterte’s drug war.

• March 17 – In response, Duterte announced the Philippines’ withdrawal from the ICC’s Rome Statute, arguing that the tribunal had no jurisdiction over him. However, under ICC rules, the withdrawal would only take effect one year later.

2019: Philippine ICC Withdrawal Takes Effect

• March 17 – The Philippines’ ICC withdrawal became official, perceived as Duterte’s attempt to evade accountability. However, the ICC maintained jurisdiction over crimes committed from November 1, 2011, to March 16, 2019—the period when the country was still a member.

2020: Key Witness Withdraws Case

• January 15 – Jude Sabio retracted his ICC complaint, calling it “propaganda.” He claimed that former Senators Trillanes and Leila de Lima had influenced him.

• January 18 – De Lima, then in detention, denied Sabio’s claims and revealed that she had filed a separate ICC case against Duterte in October 2017.

2021: ICC Authorizes Full Investigation

• September 15 – The ICC’s pre-trial chamber approved a formal investigation, covering crimes allegedly committed between July 1, 2016, and March 16, 2019.

• November 10 – The Philippine government requested the ICC to halt its investigation, claiming the local justice system was addressing drug war-related killings.

• November 18 – ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan temporarily suspended the probe to review the Philippine government’s deferral request.

2022: ICC Resumes Probe Amid Duterte’s Exit

• June 24 – Dissatisfied with the Philippine government’s efforts, Khan requested to resume the ICC probe, citing inadequate investigations into drug war deaths, including those under Duterte’s tenure as Davao City mayor.

• June 30 – Duterte’s six-year presidency ended, with Ferdinand Marcos Jr. assuming office. Despite stepping down, Duterte remained a divisive figure in Philippine politics.

2023: ICC Investigation Reopens

• January 26 – The ICC pre-trial chamber officially reopened its investigation, stating that Philippine authorities failed to conduct sufficient probes into drug war killings.

• November 24 – President Marcos Jr. announced that his administration was reviewing the possibility of rejoining the ICC.

2024: Key Testimonies Against Duterte

• January 31 – Retired police officer Arturo Lascañas, a self-confessed DDS member, revealed he had testified before ICC investigators. He accused Duterte of masterminding DDS operations and identified key figures involved in the bloody anti-drug campaign.

• November 14 – Marcos reiterated that the Philippines would not cooperate with the ICC investigation into Duterte’s drug war.

2025: ICC Arrest Warrant Looms Over Duterte

• March 7 – Duterte traveled to Hong Kong, leading a PDP-Laban senatorial campaign sortie among overseas Filipino workers. He defended his actions as president, emphasizing that he acted for the Filipino people amid growing speculation about an ICC arrest warrant.

• March 9 – The Marcos administration stated it was ‘prepared for any eventuality’ should the ICC issue an arrest warrant for Duterte, according to PCO Secretary Jay Ruiz.
• March 14 – Duterte appeared for a pre-trial hearing virtually, with former Executive Secretary and lawyer, Salvador Medialdea, serving as his legal counsel.
• March 17 – The former President’s camp revealed the lawyers that will form part of his legal counsel, which will be led by British lawyer Nicholas Kauffman. Ex- Palace Spokesperson Harry Roque and Medialdea will serve as supporting lawyers.

Former President Duterte’s detention follows years of him rebuking and taunting the ICC in profanity-laden speeches since he unilaterally withdrew the Philippines from the court’s founding treaty in 2019 as it started looking into allegations of systematic murders of drug dealers on his watch.

The ICC, a court of last resort, says it has jurisdiction to investigate alleged crimes that took place while a country was a member.

Duterte has long insisted he instructed police to kill only in self-defence and has always defended the crackdown, repeatedly telling his supporters he was ready to “rot in jail” if it meant ridding the Philippines of illicit drugs.

Human rights groups and families of victims said Duterte’s arrest was a decisive step towards accountability for a brutal and chilling campaign that targeted the poorest of Filipinos. / with reports from Reuters.