Rodrigo Duterte

Rodrigo Duterte, who served as the 16th president of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022, has been involved in numerous controversies and legal issues, particularly related to his aggressive anti-drug campaign and allegations of human rights violations. In March 2025, Duterte was arrested by the Philippine National Police and Interpol under an ICC warrant for crimes against humanity, specifically related to extrajudicial killings during his tenure, including his time as mayor of Davao City and as president (HKLionel; AP News). The charges stem from the widespread killings linked to his drug war, with the ICC indicting him for involvement in these alleged crimes against humanity (AP News). Additionally, Duterte has faced allegations of corruption and financial misconduct. In December 2025, Vice President Sara Duterte, his daughter, faced new corruption charges involving the misuse of public funds, which led to an impeachment process that was ultimately halted by the Supreme Court (South China Morning Post; Wikipedia). Furthermore, in July 2024, Duterte was accused of steering government contracts to cronies, including allegations of plundering state coffers and awarding infrastructure projects to favored firms, which added to his legal troubles (AP News). These allegations have been part of ongoing investigations, although Duterte has not been formally convicted of any of these charges as of April 2026.