The interplay between international and national jurisprudence: the case of ex-Philippine President Duterte’s arrest at the International Criminal Court (ICC)

Globalization allows the flow of ideas. This includes the travel of policies and laws beyond countries’ borders. This reflects the warranted arrest of former Philippine President Rodrigo Roa Duterte by the International Criminal Court (ICC), through the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) in Manila, Philippines in 2025. In connection, this study analyzed events from Duterte’s rise to power, his manifestations of power during his campaign on the “war on drugs,” his downfall, and communicative practices in the organization of the warranted arrest, as well as its real-world implications. The data include an exclusive interview by Al Jazeera, a documentary from one of the biggest broadcasting companies in the Philippines (ABS-CBN), and public news and press releases (pre-arrest and after the arrest) from the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) and International Criminal Court websites. The data were analyzed using qualitative discourse analysis. The findings showed that Duterte’s manifestations of power were charismatic, discursive, and institutional, which created regimes of truth in Philippine society. The findings also uncovered four phases of the warranted arrest, which include: “secret” communication, partnership formation, negotiation and stand-offs, and public communication. Overall, this paper presents insights into Duterte’s stance on his alleged crimes and the interplay between international and national actors in the arrest for committing crimes against humanity, and discusses its implications for both the international community and Philippine society.