As netizens debate whether the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) arrest of the former president was legal, the arrest warrant has now been made public.
The document reveals that the warrant is dated March 7, 2025, which is four days prior to his arrest.
This counters the claim made by the former president’s daughter, Veronica “Kitty” Duterte, who took to social media, stating that no arrest warrant had been issued.
Her post sparked outrage among Duterte’s supporters, who argued that the arrest was unlawful, as he was not presented with any warrant at the time.
The warrant itself states that the arrest was made due to the former president’s “alleged criminal responsibility pursuant to Article 25(3)(a) of the Statute for the crime against humanity of murder pursuant to Article 7(1)(a) of the Statute, committed in the Republic of the Philippines during the Relevant Period.”
Initially classified as “secret,” the document was later made public following a decision by the ICC’s chamber.
According to the decision, “The chamber hereby decides that the warrant of arrest, currently classified as secret, may be communicated, or its existence be revealed, and that the existence of the Prosecution’s application for the present warrant may be mentioned to States, international organizations or competent persons if required for the execution of the warrant of arrest.”