Former Philippine President Duterte Arrested By ICC

Syllabus: GS2/ International Organisation

In News

• Former Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte was taken into custody based on a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

More About the News

• He was accused of crimes against humanity over his deadly “war on drugs” during his tenure where more than 6, 000 suspects were killed which UN found that most victims were young, poor urban males.
• Also, earlier, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant against Russian President Vladimir Putin for alleged war crimes in Ukraine.

International Criminal Court (ICC)

• About:
  • The International Criminal Court (ICC) is the world’s first permanent international court established to investigate and prosecute individuals accused of serious international crimes.
• Establishment: 
  • Under the Rome Statute (1998), has 125 member states and exercises jurisdiction over four core crimes:
    • Genocide (Intentional destruction of a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group)
    • Crimes against Humanity (Widespread attacks against civilians)
    • War Crimes (Grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions)
    • Crimes of Aggression (Acts of aggression by a state violating sovereignty, territorial integrity)
• Jurisdiction: The ICC can exercise jurisdiction when:
  • Crimes are committed by a national of a State Party or on territory of a State Party.
  • A non-member state accepts ICC jurisdiction voluntarily.
  • The UN Security Council can refer a case to the ICC (Chapter VII of the UN Charter).
  • The ICC Prosecutor initiates an investigation upon own initiative or a State Party’s request.
• Enforcement Challenges:
  • The ICC does not have its own police force and relies on state cooperation for arrests and extraditions.
  • Non-member states have no obligation to cooperate (e.g., Israel, the US, Russia, China, and India).

Why Has India Not Joined the ICC?

• India has refrained from joining the Rome Statute, citing concerns over:
  • Sovereignty and Political Interference: ICC’s subordination to the UN Security Council raises concerns that it could be politically misused. The power to bind non-member states violates India’s principle of sovereignty.
  • Wide Powers of the ICC Prosecutor: The ICC Prosecutor can initiate investigations suo motu (on its own), without a State Party referral. This broad power raises concerns about misuse for political purposes.
  • Exclusion of Key Security Issues: Terrorism and nuclear weapons use are not covered under ICC jurisdiction. India believes that these issues pose major security threats and should be included.
  • Lack of Protection for Armed Forces: India is concerned that Indian military personnel deployed in conflict zones (e.g., Kashmir, Northeast India, or UN Peacekeeping missions) could be unfairly targeted.
  • Selective Prosecution and Western Bias: ICC has failed to investigate powerful countries for their military interventions (e.g., US in Iraq, Russia in Ukraine, NATO’s Libya intervention).