MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Senate announced Monday it will launch a formal investigation into the arrest and rapid transfer of former President Rodrigo Duterte to the International Criminal Court (ICC), where the 79-year-old faces charges of crimes against humanity tied to his brutal anti-drug campaign. The probe, spearheaded by Senator Imee Marcos, comes amid a deepening political rift between two of the nation’s most powerful families and raises questions about sovereignty, due process, and the legacy of Duterte’s controversial presidency.
Duterte, the first former Asian head of state to be charged by the ICC, was apprehended March 11 at Manila’s international airport following a brief trip to Hong Kong. Within hours, he was on a plane to the Netherlands, where he was handed over to the Hague-based court. The ICC has accused him of the crime against humanity of murder, alleging that his signature “war on drugs” resulted in thousands of extrajudicial killings of suspected drug users and dealers between 2016 and 2022. Rights groups have long decried the campaign as a human rights catastrophe, estimating the death toll could exceed 30,000.
The Senate inquiry, set to begin with a public hearing on Thursday, was initiated by Imee Marcos, a prominent figure caught in a web of familial and political loyalties. The sister of current President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., she is also a close ally of Duterte’s eldest daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte. The Marcos and Duterte clans, once united in a landslide 2022 election victory, have since descended into bitter enmity. Sara Duterte was recently impeached on charges that include an alleged plot to assassinate the president, a stunning unraveling of their once-unassailable alliance.
“As chairperson of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, I am calling for an urgent investigation into the arrest of former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, an issue that has deeply divided the nation,” Imee Marcos said in a statement Monday. “It is imperative to establish whether due process was followed and to ensure that his legal rights were not just upheld but protected. Our sovereignty and legal processes must remain paramount.”
Duterte’s arrest has ignited fierce debate in the Philippines, a country long wary of foreign intervention. Hours after his detention, Marcos called it a misstep, warning that targeting “poor president Duterte” could “only lead to trouble.” On Friday, she doubled down, declaring, “I cannot accept what they did to [Duterte].” Her stance underscores her independent streak, even as she runs for re-election in the May 12 midterms under her brother’s administration ticket.
The Senate has summoned top police and government officials to testify, signaling a high-stakes showdown over the circumstances of Duterte’s arrest and extradition. Critics of the government argue the swift handover to the ICC reflects pressure from international powers, while Duterte’s supporters decry it as a betrayal of national sovereignty. The former president, known for his brash defiance of Western critics, had repeatedly vowed never to face the ICC, once famously telling its prosecutors to “go to hell.”
For Imee Marcos, the probe is a delicate balancing act. Her ties to the Duterte family—particularly Sara, a potential political rival to her brother—add a layer of intrigue to the investigation. Analysts say her push for transparency could bolster her populist credentials ahead of the midterms, even as it risks further straining her relationship with the president.
Duterte’s legal fate now rests with the ICC, where he will answer for a campaign that cemented his image as a no-nonsense strongman to supporters and a ruthless violator of human rights to detractors. Back home, the Senate’s inquiry promises to peel back the curtain on a saga that has gripped the Philippines, exposing the fragile fault lines of its political landscape. (source: agencies)
