Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was arrested on March 10, 2025. He was taken into custody as he returned to Manila from a trip to Hong Kong. The arrest happened because of a warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC). This court has been looking into Duterte’s war on drugs.

Duterte’s campaign from 2016 to 2022 led to the deaths of thousands of alleged drug offenders. Many of these deaths were from extrajudicial killings by police and vigilantes. Families of the victims hope for justice. They have waited a long time for someone to be held accountable for the violence.

Duterte ran a brutal anti-drug plan. It was disguised as a “war on drugs.” Suspected criminals were often killed quickly. Rights groups recorded many human rights violations. Critics believed Duterte acted without fear of being punished. His close ties with current President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. added to this fear.

Meanwhile, the actions of former U.S. Presidents also have come under scrutiny. George W. Bush and Dick Cheney led the country during the Iraq War. After the September 11 attacks, they pushed for harsh interrogation methods. They believed these methods would help fight terrorism. This included tactics like waterboarding.

In 2012, a Malaysian tribunal found Bush, Cheney, and others guilty of war crimes. This was the first tribunal to do so in the world. They were found guilty for torturing detainees. The U.S. government has faced many accusations of torture and mistreatment.

Bush admitted to approving waterboarding in his memoirs. Cheney also acknowledged his role in supporting harsh interrogation techniques. Donald Rumsfeld’s policies at Guantanamo Bay allowed these abusive practices to continue.

Despite all the accusations, Bush and Cheney have not been charged. In 2014, rumors spread on social media about arrest warrants for them in Europe. PolitiFact checked the facts and found this claim was false. Both INTERPOL and the ICC confirmed that there were no outstanding warrants for either man.

As the world seeks justice, the arrests of leaders like Duterte are a step forward. The scrutiny on Bush and Cheney shows how hard it is to hold powerful officials accountable for their actions.

This immunity for US Presidents is not going to last forever.

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