MANILA – Former President Rodrigo Duterte could face a prison sentence ranging from up to 30 years to a life sentence if convicted of crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in connection with his controversial war on drugs, the Philippine government said Wednesday (12 Mar 2025).
Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro provided this information in a press briefing, adding, “But it depends upon the defenses that can be availed of by the former president.”
The ICC’s official website clarifies that the tribunal does not impose the death penalty. However, judges have the discretion to sentence a convicted individual to up to 30 years of imprisonment or, under exceptional circumstances, impose a life sentence. The verdicts are subject to appeal, and judges may also order reparations to victims.
Duterte’s arrest, conducted by the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) and local authorities, stems from the ICC’s ongoing investigation into allegations that Duterte’s anti-drug campaign resulted in thousands of extrajudicial killings during his tenure as mayor of Davao City and president of the Philippines.
The former president was transported out of the country late Tuesday night.
Castro, who is a lawyer by profession, explained that Duterte would first have to face a local court in the Netherlands to assess the legality of his arrest before being brought before the ICC to address the charges against him.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., speaking moments after Duterte’s departure for The Hague, emphasized that the Philippine government was acting on Interpol’s request and not directly responding to the ICC, from which the Philippines withdrew in 2019.
“The arrest that we did today was in compliance with our commitments to Interpol. It just so happened that it came from ICC, but it’s not because it came from ICC; it’s because it came from Interpol,” Marcos stated.
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