Duterte’s Arrest Shows the Power of Long-Term Funding

Former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte’s recent arrest is a testament to the importance of long-term movement building and funding.

The arrest of former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte by the International Criminal Court (ICC) on March 12, 2025, marked a significant step toward justice for victims of his administration’s highly controversial “war on drugs.” Duterte’s arrest, after years of relentless work by a diverse array of activists and groups in the Filipino human rights movement, underscores the importance of activism that empowers victims of human rights violations and their families.  

It’s also a case study in the importance of funding movements through challenging periods. Even when immediate opportunities for seismic impact might seem limited, long-term support ensures that activists remain resilient and can act quickly and effectively when opportunities arise or when contexts become more favorable. 

30,000 Dead from Extrajudicial Killings 

Duterte’s presidency from 2016 to 2022 was marked by the rollback of civic freedoms under the guise of three “wars”—on terror, the COVID-19 pandemic, and drugs—each with their own impact on fundamental rights.

[READ: Disrupting the Security Playbook in Post-Duterte Philippines] 

His aggressive and controversial anti-drug campaign led to widespread human rights violations, including extrajudicial killings. The administration’s approach eschewed proper criminal procedure or a public-health policy approach in favor of more informal and violent processes. Police officers and so-called vigilantes acting on the government’s behalf went door to door in search of suspected drug users or dealers. Research from Civic Futures found that Duterte’s yearslong campaign—fueled by a narrative of violence, fear, and stigmatization—harmed not only drug dealers but also users and the human rights defenders who stepped up to challenge these violations.  

According to police records, more than 7,000 people were killed in official anti-drug operations ordered by Duterte. But human rights groups say the actual number is closer to 30,000. In addition, hundreds of thousands of drug users chose to turn themselves in to the police, hoping for immunity amid the climate of fear and violence. Yet many were arrested and jailed after surrendering voluntarily, and government-sponsored rehabilitation resources failed to provide adequate support. Officers involved in the campaign were granted immunity from prosecution for deaths occurring in their custody, and victims’ bodies were often discarded in rivers, grasslands, and rubbish dumps or left in public as a warning. 

Challenges for the Human Rights Movement 

Under Duterte’s regime, the Filipino human rights movement faced heightened scrutiny and persecution. The government’s securitized response to the country’s drug problem restricted civic space for activism, and Duterte’s administration promoted a dangerous and misleading narrative that human rights defenders are to blame for violent crime and drug trafficking. Duterte’s popularity gave his government a sense of impunity. The administration’s harmful rhetoric spurred fear and stigmatization, effectively dissuading many citizens from exercising their right to express opposition. Accountability for extrajudicial killings and related violations seemed for years like a distant dream. 

With support from the Fund for Global Human Rights and others, activists and organizations across the Philippines remained steadfast, building relationships and strategies to pursue justice. The case against Duterte has been meticulously constructed since 2018, when the ICC initiated a preliminary inquiry into allegations of crimes against humanity committed by Duterte. This escalated to a full criminal investigation in 2021. 

Fund grantee partners—including NoBox, RESBAK, and others—worked closely with the families of extrajudicial killing victims to seek remedies for the killings and other human rights violations. They helped the families heal from trauma and empowered them to seek justice, fostering their resilience. Their faith in these families, coupled with patient advocacy and meticulous documentation, created a powerful collective force—ready to act as soon as an opportunity for justice appeared. That work is ongoing. Even as Duterte faces the ICC, the “war on drugs” and its culture of fear continue under the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.  

Long-Term Funding Is Key

With government funding for human rights under threat globally, funders could be tempted to focus their resources on contexts and countries with the clearest short-term opportunities to make an impact. However, the lesson of Duterte’s arrest is that funding movements through periods of shrinking civic space and increasing threats can bear fruit in the future.

Rising authoritarianism and impunity are threatening human rights across the world—it can feel like opportunities to create change are scarce right now. But long-term, flexible funding enables activists to build collective power in the background. Anti-rights groups rely on long-term strategies and financial reserves that last decades to fuel their campaigns against accountability, equality, and social justice. Instead of prioritizing quick wins, the human rights movement needs supporters with equal stores of patience, hope, and long-term commitment.