Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was arrested Tuesday on a warrant from the International Criminal Court, according to AP News. Duterte was taken into custody at Manila international airport after arriving from Hong Kong with his family, becoming the first former Asian leader to be arrested by the global court.

Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was arrested Tuesday on a warrant from the International Criminal Court, according to the Philippine government. Duterte was taken into custody at Manila international airport after arriving from Hong Kong with his family, becoming the first former Asian leader to be arrested by the global court.

The ICC warrant accuses Duterte of crimes against humanity related to the deadly anti-drug crackdowns he oversaw while in office. The March 7 warrant states there are "reasonable grounds to believe" that attacks on victims "were both widespread and systematic" and took place "over a period of several years" with "thousands of people" killed.

Upon arrival, Duterte protested his detention, demanding authorities explain the legal basis for his arrest. The former president's lawyers immediately filed a petition with the Supreme Court to block any attempt to transport him out of the Philippines to the ICC in Europe. Following his arrest, he was driven to the nearby Villamor Air Base.

Death toll estimates from Duterte's anti-drug campaign vary significantly:

• National police reports: over 6,000 killed
• Human rights groups claims: up to 30,000 deaths
• ICC investigation period: November 2011 to March 2019

Families of those killed during Duterte's crackdown expressed relief at the arrest. Randy delos Santos, uncle of a teenager killed by police in 2017, told AP: "This is a big, long-awaited day for justice." Former Senator Antonio Trillanes, who filed a complaint against Duterte with the ICC, called the arrest "historic" and "like the downfall of an emperor."

The ICC began investigating killings under Duterte from his time as mayor of Davao through his presidency as possible crimes against humanity. Duterte withdrew the Philippines from the Rome Statute in 2019, which human rights activists viewed as an attempt to escape accountability. The court ruled in 2023 that its investigation could resume despite Philippine objections.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who succeeded Duterte in 2022 and later became involved in political disputes with him, has not rejoined the global court. However, the Marcos administration had stated it would cooperate if the ICC requested international police to take Duterte into custody through a Red Notice, according to AP reports.

The arrest comes on the same day Elon Musk lost $29 billion as Tesla stock plummeted 15.43% on the Nasdaq, marking its steepest single-day decline since September 2020. Musk's net worth dropped from $330 billion to $301 billion, while Tesla faces global sales declines and increased competition from rival electric vehicles.