Duterte Resists Arrest, Threatens Police in Standoff Before ICC Extradition

Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte allegedly threatened a police general with legal action, refused to be fingerprinted, and told law enforcement officers, “You have to kill me to bring me to The Hague,” during a tense standoff following his arrest in Manila. The arrest was carried out after the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant. Police Major General Nicolas Torre revealed the details of the 12-hour confrontation that occurred on Tuesday at a Philippine airbase, where he and other officers were able to eventually put the 79-year-old ex-president on a government-chartered flight to The Hague, Netherlands, where he was detained by the ICC on charges of crimes against humanity.
Duterte, known for his aggressive anti-crime policies, was also infamous for his offensive remarks, such as calling Pope Francis a “son of a bitch” and telling U.S. President Barack Obama to “go to hell.” His arrest was viewed as a major victory by human rights groups, marking a significant step in the fight against impunity.
The former president was apprehended Tuesday upon his arrival at Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport with his common-law wife, daughter, and friends from Hong Kong. He was then taken under heavy police escort to the Villamor Air Base, where booking procedures, including fingerprinting, were to be conducted before his transfer to a plane for his flight to The Hague. However, Duterte, along with his family, friends, and lawyers, resisted the procedure and prevented him from boarding the Gulfstream G550 jet. The standoff lasted around 12 hours.
“It was very tense,” Torre said. “One of my officers sustained a head injury after being hit hard with a cellphone” by Duterte’s common-law wife, “and his daughter was cursing me with expletives, but I kept my cool.”
Despite his background as a government prosecutor and congressman, Duterte refused to comply with the police booking procedure after his arrest. Torre explained, “We wanted to have him fingerprinted, but he resisted.” He added that he arrested and handcuffed Duterte’s executive secretary for obstructing the transfer to the plane. Torre also confirmed the authenticity of a viral video showing Duterte surrounded by his family, lawyers, and friends, asking Torre, “Are you going to bring me straight to the airplane?” Duterte reportedly responded, “You have to kill me to bring me to The Hague.” Torre reassured him, “That’s not our intention, sir,” while officers cleared the crowd around Duterte.
Duterte’s legal team contended that the Philippine authorities did not provide a copy of the ICC arrest warrant and violated his constitutional rights. They also argued that the Marcos administration’s decision to allow Duterte to be handed over to the ICC, despite the Philippines no longer being a member of the court, was unlawful.
Vice President Sara Duterte, the ex-president’s daughter, condemned the arrest, calling it a violation of Philippine sovereignty. “Our government has surrendered a Filipino citizen — even a former president at that — to foreign powers,” she said before her father was flown out of Manila. “This is a blatant affront to our sovereignty and an insult to every Filipino who believes in our nation’s independence,” she said. “This is not justice — this is oppression and persecution.”
In a television address shortly after Duterte’s departure, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. rejected these accusations, citing the collapse of their political alliance following the 2022 elections.
Before returning to Manila, Duterte, speaking to supporters in Hong Kong, acknowledged the ICC arrest warrant and said he was ready for incarceration. “If this is my fate in life, it’s OK, I’ll accept it. I can’t do anything if I get arrested and jailed,” he stated, often using expletives during his speech.
Duterte, who earned a reputation for his brutal anti-drug campaign, which led to thousands of deaths during his presidency, also became known for his unapologetic and offensive rhetoric. One of his most infamous comments came in 2015 when he insulted Pope Francis during his visit to Manila. He had said, “I wanted to call. ‘Pope, you son of a bitch, go home.’ Don’t visit here anymore,” a remark that shocked many, including the Catholic Church. Duterte later apologized after Filipino bishops expressed their outrage.