The country’s bishops had long been vocal in their opposition to Duterte, including his “war on drugs,” and opposed his call to reinstate the death penalty for illegal drug use.

Activists in the Philippines say the stunning arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte on a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for a crime against humanity marks a major step toward accountability for the thousands of Filipinos targeted and killed under the pretext of his infamous “war on drugs.