Thousands of Filipinos worldwide are calling for the immediate release of former President Rodrigo Duterte as he faces trial at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague. To them, this isn’t about justice—it’s about politics. They see the ICC’s actions as a Western-led attempt to undermine a leader who dared to put his country’s stability above international approval.
Duterte’s war on drugs was never a reckless crusade. It was a direct response to an epidemic that had spiraled out of control long before he took office. The Philippines was on the brink of becoming a narco-state, with drug syndicates infiltrating local governments and law enforcement. His administration’s crackdown was brutal, but to his supporters, it was a necessary course correction.
Filipinos abroad, many of whom witnessed firsthand the devastation drugs brought to their communities back home, are outraged at what they see as a double standard. They ask: Why does the ICC target Duterte while Western-backed leaders walk free despite launching wars that killed thousands more? Why is a leader who fought criminals being treated as one himself?
The ICC claims to uphold justice, but its selective prosecutions tell a different story. It rarely pursues Western leaders for their war crimes, yet it moves swiftly against figures like Duterte, who challenge its ideological grip. This is why the calls for his release aren’t just about one man—they’re about pushing back against a global order that many Filipinos feel does not serve them.
Duterte’s fate may be decided in The Hague, but the real verdict will be written by history. And for many Filipinos, the question isn’t whether his war on drugs was harsh—it’s whether the Philippines would have survived without it.