Caritas Philippines on Duterte's arrest: ‘Respect the law’

The International Criminal Court's arrest warrant has been executed against the former president, accused of crimes against humanity for his controversial war on drugs, in which up to 30,000 people are presumed to have died from extrajudicial killings. The local Church has called on the government to cooperate with international justice to end widespread impunity.

Manila (AsiaNews) – The Philippine police have arrested former president Rodrigo Duterte, after the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant. Caritas Philippines has welcomed the developments in the investigation and urged Duterte to keep his promise to submit to the legal process.

Duterte, 79, was arrested on his arrival in Manila from Hong Kong (where he had gone to propose his candidacy for mayor of Davao among the Filipino emigrants) and, according to an official statement from the Malacañang, the presidential palace, he is now in custody and in good health.

The ICC mandate is part of an investigation into alleged crimes against humanity committed during the anti-drug campaign launched in 2016, an operation that, according to government estimates, has resulted in the deaths of at least 6,252 people.

However, human rights organisations and the families of the victims believe that the real number is much higher, with a death toll that could reach 30,000 victims, many of whom were killed in extrajudicial executions.

Caritas Philippines has called on Duterte to honour his own pledge to accept arrest if called upon by international justice. ‘In light of Duterte's recent statement expressing his willingness to accept arrest should the International Criminal Court issue a warrant, we call on him to honour this commitment and fully submit to the rule of law,‘ reads a statement from the organisation, the social arm of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP).

The appeal was also reiterated by Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo, president of Caritas Philippines, who emphasised that justice is not a question of ‘political or personal loyalty, but of responsibility, transparency and the protection of human dignity’.

Monsignor Gerardo Alminaza, vice-president of the organisation, also emphasised the wider implications of the investigation, stating that ‘these killings were not random, but part of a policy that violated the fundamental right to life’.

According to testimonies and reports gathered over the years, several police officers received financial rewards for extrajudicial executions, demonstrating that the violence was not an isolated phenomenon, but rather a system that was both rooted and incentivised.

‘The families of the victims deserve truth, reparation and justice. As a nation, we must ensure that such crimes never happen again,’ Alminaza said.

The arrest of the former president also puts the current administration led by Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to the test. So far, it has taken an ambiguous stance towards the ICC and the investigation into Duterte. Caritas Philippines has called on the government to cooperate with the International Criminal Court and ensure that the country does not remain a place where impunity can flourish with impunity.

‘We urge the Marcos administration to cooperate with the International Criminal Court, to allow an impartial investigation and to ensure that the Philippines does not remain a country where impunity flourishes. If the government has nothing to hide, it has nothing to fear,’ says the Caritas statement.

However, the issue of cooperation with the ICC is a sensitive one. In 2019, the Duterte government formally withdrew the Philippines from the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the International Criminal Court, precisely to avoid investigations into extrajudicial executions. Despite this, the ICC has reiterated that it retains jurisdiction over crimes committed when the Philippines was still a member.

The position taken by the Philippine Church highlights the need for non-selective justice. ‘The rule of law must prevail and justice must be done. Let us make this moment a turning point for our nation, a step towards healing, accountability and real change,’ concludes the Caritas statement.

For years, former president Duterte proudly claimed his ‘war on drugs’ and minimised international criticism of human rights violations. Now, with the ICC mandate, the country finds itself at a crossroads: either to continue along the path of impunity and political polarisation, or to accept the challenge of a judicial system that can truly guarantee justice for the victims.