UNITY STATEMENT: ASIA-PACIFIC HUMAN RIGHTS GROUPS WELCOME DUTERTE’S ICC ARREST
Various human rights organizations across Asia-Pacific welcome the arrest of former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte by the International Criminal Court (ICC). The arrest warrant stemmed from allegations of crimes against humanity, in response to the thousands of deaths from his brutal so-called “war on drugs”.
This has long been a demand of the Filipino people, even while Duterte was still in power. Ordinary citizens, the families of victims of his brutal drug war and extrajudicial killings, as well as political prisoners who were wrongfully accused with fabricated charges, now celebrate his arrest. Duterte’s so-called “drug war” claimed the lives of over 30,000 ordinary Filipinos, disproportionately targeting the poor and exposing children to its brutal consequences. Duterte’s arrest represents a significant and justified step toward justice and accountability.
In 2022, when Duterte’s bloody reign as president ended, he left behind a nation traumatized by his fascist policies and draconian response to drug addiction and the Covid-19 pandemic. Neoliberal policies he introduced, such as the TRAIN tax reform law, the “Build, Build, Build” infrastructure programme, and the Rice Tariffication Law that liberalized the rice industry, all exacerbated poverty and hunger in the country. Under his administration, the Philippines accumulated massive foreign debt, particularly from the United States of America and China, reaching PHP 13.42 trillion by 2021. The country also experienced a severe unemployment crisis under his term, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Furthermore, Duterte’s response during the Covid-19 pandemic was one marked with heavy militarization – choosing instead to scare residents from going outside and keeping businesses closed, rather than a health-based approach. His regime’s poorly-planned measures resulted in more than 66,000 Covid-related deaths, and the suffering of millions more from hunger and abject poverty due to the lack of material aid from the state.
Undeniably, Duterte’s biggest sins related to his betrayal of the Filipino people through human rights abuses, international humanitarian law (IHL) violations and repression of political rivals. Perhaps his most significant legacy against human rights is the Anti-Terrorism Act, which has given state authorities unprecedented powers to harass and detain individuals suspected of “terrorism” without due process. This legislation has since been weaponized against non-violent dissidents such as activists, indigenous peoples’ advocates and trade unionists.
According to data from human rights group KARAPATAN, the Duterte regime was responsible for the forced displacement of 481,918 civilians; enforced disappearance of 21 individuals; and 233 cases of torture. Additionally, there were 442 cases of politically motivated arrests and 574 instances of extrajudicial killings. Moreover, 2,957 individuals were arrested without detention, while 1,341 were both unlawfully arrested and imprisoned. Further exacerbating the climate of fear and repression, the military also repurposed 47,587 schools, medical facilities, religious institutions, and other public spaces for military use.
This litany of human rights abuses, IHL violations and fascist policies warranted the arrest of former president Duterte. Not only was his arrest deserved, it was long overdue. It is an important first step towards achieving justice for the victims of extrajudicial killings and human rights violations under his regime, and for those victims’ surviving families. Global human rights advocates are now calling for a thorough investigation of Duterte’s crimes, particularly one that gives victims and survivors of his abuses a voice to tell their harrowing stories.
We urge the Marcos Jr. administration to collaborate with the ICC to ensure that Duterte faces continuous trial proceedings until he is held accountable and imprisoned for his crimes. At the same time, we call on the incumbent government to reinstate the Philippines’ membership in the International Criminal Court (ICC), to ensure any future leaders who trample on the human rights of Filipinos can be brought to justice. Additionally, he must abolish the anti-human policies introduced by his predecessor, Duterte, such as the Anti-Terror Law and dismantling the fascist National Task Force to End the Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) which has been used to legalize attacks and repression of activists, trade unionists and other peaceful dissidents of the state.
While Duterte’s long-awaited arrest is a welcome development, the work does not stop. In fact, this should only be the beginning of the process of attaining justice for Duterte’s crimes against humanity. We call on all human rights groups in Asia-Pacific and the rest of the world to closely monitor developments on his trial before the ICC and to intensify efforts to expose his reign of tyranny. We must also uplift Duterte’s victims and ensure that their plight are never forgotten.
SIGNATORIES:
Asia Pacific Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines
Aotearoa Philippines Solidarity
Philippines Australia Union Link
Philippines Australia Solidarity Association – PASA
Australia Coalition for Human rights in the Philippines
Hong Kong Campaign For Human Rights and Peace in the Philippines
International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines – KOREA
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