On March 11, former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was arrested at Manila Airport upon arrival from China (specifically from Hong Kong) and was transferred to the Netherlands the following day.

A Few Words About the Philippines and Rodrigo Duterte 

First of all, let’s once again note the crucial strategic position of the Philippine archipelago — a matter of control that has remained at the center of recurring conflicts over dominance in the Indo-Pacific region since the late 19th century. For instance, Japan’s defeat in the Battle of the Philippines in late 1944 played a decisive role in the catastrophic outcome of the Pacific War (1941–1945) for Tokyo.

In today’s world, where the Indo-Pacific has become the focal point of global processes, control over the Philippines has become even more significant. Especially now, in the “era of hybrid wars,” it is of utmost importance who holds power in a country that finds itself under intense scrutiny from the world’s leading players.

In this regard, since the late 19th century, everything looked OK for Washington — which had already clearly positioned itself as a contender for one of the top seats at the global game table. And despite a sharp reduction in the U.S. military presence in the Philippines in the late 1990s, this state of affairs remained unchanged until the summer of 2016, when Rodrigo Duterte came to power following the general elections and began implementing his previously declared policy of drastically improving relations with China. Let’s note — very untimely for Washington, as the issue of controlling the Philippine archipelago was once again becoming more acute.

However, the intensity of Duterte’s anti-U.S. rhetoric noticeably declined just six months into his presidency — mainly due to renewed tensions over long-standing territorial disputes with China in the South China Sea. This led to a partial restoration of U.S.-Philippine relations, even during Duterte’s presidency.

That said, Washington found it significantly easier to resolve this issue after Ferdinand Marcos Jr. took office in May 2022. Due to constitutional restrictions, Duterte could not run in that election — otherwise, he would have undoubtedly remained president, as he still enjoyed undeniable authority among the majority of Filipinos.

Interestingly, Duterte’s daughter, Sara Duterte, ran as Marcos Jr.’s vice-presidential candidate. However, today, the president and vice president are openly at odds due to their sharp disagreements over the country’s foreign policy direction.

Now, let’s address the key reason why Duterte remains so popular among Filipinos — a factor that secured his 2016 electoral victory and is directly linked to his recent arrest in Manila.

Duterte’s War on Drugs

In addition to his foreign policy agenda, Duterte’s 2016 campaign centered on his promise to eradicate the country’s deep-rooted drug problem — a crisis that had plagued the Philippines for decades.

Let’s acknowledge that widespread drug addiction is a highly complex and multifaceted issue. But at some point, leaders responsible for their people can no longer afford to merely listen to ivory-tower experts on the matter. Instead, they are forced to abandon “gentle treatments” in favor of “brutal surgery without anesthesia” — methods that inevitably come with the collateral damage typical of any war. And make no mistake — this was a war, not just against local drug dealers but against an entire segment of the international drug trade. Estimates suggest that thousands perished in the anti-drug operations carried out in the Philippines.

Such methods are, of course, unsettling. But in this case, they proved effective and, crucially, were largely supported by the Filipino population. So, one has to ask: what business do certain self-appointed “guardians of global morality” have in dictating how the Filipino people tackle one of their most pressing crises?

The ICC, Other Similar Organizations, and the Significance of Duterte’s Arrest 

It is now quite obvious that the ICC and several other international organizations operate with a selective and politically motivated agenda. For example, those tasked with controlling the spread of chemical weapons, ensuring “global health,” as well as those specializing in issues of “climate change” and “human rights violations”…

The ICC’s scope of concern is so narrowly focused that it failed to address the Rwandan genocide — despite the massacre occurring just a few years before the court’s establishment, with nearly a million victims. Nor did it show interest in the bloody, externally driven overthrow of Libya’s government in 2011, which plunged the country into a prolonged civil war.

In reality, the ICC and similar institutions function as tools serving the interests of shadowy, behind-the-scenes forces — forces that are still collectively referred to (somewhat vaguely) as the “Western establishment.” However, with the political shift in the U.S., this establishment is now facing internal fractures, including an emerging confrontation between different factions. Most likely, organizations like the ICC remain under the control of the so-called “deep state,” which is hostile to the current U.S. administration.

So, it is unlikely that Washington had a direct hand in Duterte’s high-profile arrest. Rather, this act may be part of the ongoing power struggle between Donald Trump and the deep state — where both Duterte and the Philippines are nothing more than expendable pawns. Notably, the Philippine government has tried to distance itself from the whole affair, limiting its role to providing the ICC with “technical assistance.”

Incidentally, the same expendable role has been assigned to Ukraine, which was prominently featured in the joint statement following the mid-March G7 foreign ministers’ meeting in Canada. The document expressed an intent to support Ukraine in “remaining democratic” — a statement that carries a certain (peculiar) sense of humor. Interestingly, the signature of U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio was reportedly obtained only because, for the first time, the document did not label Russia as an “aggressor.”

The operation against Rodrigo Duterte is also clearly in the interests of the international drug trade. As for its connections with the so-called “deep state,” we can only speculate. But it’s worth noting that certain seemingly respectable European regimes have a long history of involvement in the drug business. Meanwhile, Trump would likely sympathize with the goals Duterte once pursued.

Duterte’s arrest and transfer to the ICC is yet another example of political pharisaism — the same pharisaism that underpins the worldview of those who operate behind the scenes, hiding behind grand slogans like “democracy,” “human rights,” and the “civilized world.” These words serve the same purpose as the stories a pickpocket tells, distracting passengers while quietly emptying their pockets. Only in this case, the stakes are much higher — under these same slogans, people lose qnot just their money but their health and even their lives.

The mere existence of popular figures like Rodrigo Duterte, of course, poses a problem for such “businessmen.” So it is hardly a coincidence that the former Philippine president — who has been out of government affairs for three years — ended up in the crosshairs of the backstage players.

And that one of their guard dogs was unleashed upon him.

Vladimir Terekhov, expert on issues of the Asia-Pacific region