Chay F. Hofileña

Two weeks ago, there had been word that a warrant was forthcoming and that the PNP had to put in place an arrest plan

An arrest warrant has been issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against former president and Davao City mayor Rodrigo Duterte, informed sources told Rappler. The warrant was said to have been issued Saturday morning, March 8 (Philippine time), but this could not yet be independently verified. The ICC has made no official announcement and may not necessarily issue one.

Two weeks ago, there had been word that a warrant was forthcoming and that the Philippine National Police (PNP) had to put in place an arrest plan. That information had apparently been leaked to the Duterte camp — whether deliberately or not is unclear.

Another source had said action would take place at Camp Crame and that the PNP would be expected to play a major role. One indication that the arrest warrant was coming, according to a source who was privy to the information, was what appeared to be a “consolidation of witnesses” at The Hague. The source refused to elaborate.

A second source, citing reports on the ground, said Duterte departed Davao for Manila at past 9 pm on Thursday, March 6, via a Philippine Airlines flight, PR 2829, which arrived before 11 pm at Terminal 2 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. Early morning Friday, March 7, Duterte and his entourage headed for Terminal 3 and boarded a CX 912 flight to Hong Kong.

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A report by The Standard in Hong Kong on March 8 confirmed Duterte’s arrival in what is known as a special administrative region of China. The Standard said that Duterte was spotted in Causeway Bay Saturday afternoon — at the Lee Theatre Plaza, in particular, accompanied by “10 people including bodyguards. He was seen using an escalator leading to the area’s restaurants,” The Standard reported.

Members of Duterte’s entourage included former first lady Honeylet Avanceña, former executive secretary Salvador Medialdea, former National Intelligence Coordinating Agency director-general Alex Paul Monteagudo, former PNP intelligence director Nelson Quinsay, and former Davao Region police chief Brigadier General Filmore Escobal. Quinsay and Escobal were accompanied by their wives, PNP ground sources said.

Salvador Panelo, former chief presidential legal counsel, was cited in a report as saying that Duterte flew to Hong Kong to thank overseas Filipino workers on Sunday, March 9, for their support, and not for anything else.

Previously, government officials led by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin said that if the ICC moves and courses the warrant through the International Criminal Police Organization or Interpol — and “the Interpol makes the request to us for the arrest or delivery of the custody of a person subject to ICC jurisdiction, we will respond favorably or positively to the Interpol request.”

Duterte had been the subject of ICC investigations into alleged crimes against humanity for the thousands of people who were killed in his brutal war on drugs waged when he was mayor of Davao and later when he became president in 2016. 

In November 2024, when he appeared before a House of Representatives mega-panel that was also investigating extrajudicial killings and the war on drugs, the former president dared the ICC to hurry up and declared with bombast, “if possible, they can come here and start the investigation tomorrow.” 

“This issue has been left hanging for many years, baka mamatay ako, hindi na nila ako imbestiga (I might die and they can no longer investigate me),” said Duterte, who has appeared to have weakened physically in his recent public appearances in campaign sorties and rallies.

Reports of the warrant being issued come weeks before the official start of the local campaigns on March 28. They also coincide with pending questions about the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, who has elevated to the Supreme Court constitutional questions about her impeachment. This is intended to block the impeachment trial at the Senate that could lead to her removal and permanent ban from public office if she is convicted.

The forthcoming May elections are being perceived as a proxy battle between the former president and the incumbent President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who entered into a Uniteam alliance in 2022 with Sara Duterte. That alliance is now broken.

The ICC card is being viewed by administration allies and victims of extrajudicial killings as the ace up the President’s sleeve as he enters his midterm and faces the threat of a Duterte comeback in the 2028 presidential elections. – Rappler.com