**Duterte's Dramatic Arrest: The Ex-President's Journey to The Hague**

**In a stunning turn of events, the ex-strongman Rodrigo Duterte, once hailed for his tough stance against crime, finds himself in ICC custody amid political rivalries and human rights allegations.**

 

Rodrigo Duterte, the controversial former president of the Philippines, was taken into police custody upon his arrival in Manila from Hong Kong, just shy of his 80th birthday. Duterte, once a dominant figure in Filipino politics and known for his aggressive anti-drugs campaign, now faces serious charges from the International Criminal Court (ICC), including allegations of thousands of extrajudicial killings during his administration.

Upon landing, Duterte was met by Philippine police who executed the longstanding ICC warrant for his arrest. His frail health cloaked him in vulnerability as he was escorted to an air force base near the airport, where preparations were made for a chartered flight to The Hague. Despite claims by his family and legal team that the arrest lacked legitimate grounds, the political climate surrounding him had shifted dramatically.

Duterte’s presidency saw him forge a controversial alliance with the Marcos family, including Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who won the presidency in 2022, and Sara Duterte, who became vice president. This alliance was built on mutual interests, but the recent strains in their relationship spotlit the precarious nature of their political partnership. Discontent escalated when disagreements over power-sharing began to surface, culminating in Sara Duterte’s extreme announcement of hiring an assassin against President Marcos.

This fracture allowed President Marcos to push Duterte into a corner, executing the ICC warrant while dealing with a political landscape filled with ambition and competition. The ongoing impeachment proceedings against Sara Duterte further complicate matters, potentially eliminating her future electoral aspirations and diminishing the influence of the Duterte clan.

Though President Marcos has publicly justified cooperating with the ICC, many Filipinos remain skeptical about the ICC's legitimacy, particularly given Duterte's earlier withdrawal from its jurisdiction. As these political dramas unfold, both the Duterte and Marcos factions remain significant, with potential protests brewing around Duterte’s arrest.

The ICC, meanwhile, finds itself navigating tumultuous waters, facing challenges to its authority as global politics evolve. Also, amid warnings from China to avoid politicizing ICC cases, the dynamics in these proceedings weigh heavily as they approach the 2024 mid-term elections, testing the political mettle of both powerful families in the Philippines.