ICC Orders Freeze on Cash Seized from Duterte During Arrest

The International Criminal Court (ICC)’s trial chamber ordered the freezing of the money that former president Rodrigo Duterte was carrying at the time of his arrest. This was in connection with his crimes against humanity case linked to his violent drug war.

The single sharpest fact in one or two punchy sentences is this: the ICC has taken away Duterte’s money as he awaits trial for crimes against humanity. But who is Rodrigo Duterte? He’s the former president of the Philippines, who was known for his anti-drug campaign that left thousands of people dead.

The amount of cash seized from Duterte has not been publicly disclosed. He was arrested in the Philippines in March 2025 before being surrendered to the ICC detention facility in The Hague, in the Netherlands. His defense team has argued that the prosecution’s request to freeze the money is “otiose,” or entirely unnecessary, because it “will have no practical impact upon the existing state of affairs.”

According to the ICC Registry, the seized cash remains in the custody of the detention center’s chief custody officer. The prosecution has also asked the court for access to several items seized from Duterte at the time of his arrest, including a set of keys.

Duterte’s team noted that while it “does not oppose” the prosecution’s request, it pointed out that the request for access to keys is “insufficiently substantiated and should be requested.”

But what does this mean for the people who lost loved ones in Duterte’s anti-drug campaign? It means that the ICC is taking seriously the allegations against him, and that their efforts to seek justice may finally bear fruit.

The trial will start on November 30, 2026.

““The Trial Chamber granted the Prosecution’s request to freeze any money that had been seized and further ordered the Registry to provide an inventory of the items obtained from Mr. Duterte upon his arrest,””

— Peter Haynes, Duterte’s defense lawyer

The ICC’s decision to freeze Duterte’s cash is just one step in the long journey of seeking justice for the thousands of people killed in his anti-drug campaign.

The Philippine government must now work to comply with the ICC’s decision, and ensure that their officials are not using taxpayer money to fund Duterte’s defense.

The case is a reminder that those in power must be held accountable for their actions, and that justice will eventually be served.

The ICC has taken a significant step in seeking justice for the victims of Duterte’s crimes.