MANILA, Philippines – Filipino Catholic leaders hailed the arrest of former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte as he faced a complaint at the International Criminal Court (ICC) over the killing of thousands of Filipinos in his war on drugs.

The 79-year-old Duterte was arrested at Manila’s international airport on Tuesday morning and was flown to The Hague, Netherlands, before midnight.

In a statement, the social justice arm of the Conference of Major Superiors in the Philippines (CMSP) said Duterte’s arrest “is a crucial step toward addressing the countless human rights violations committed under his administration.”

The CMSP is a 54-year-old organization of men and women religious superiors, which had a history of fighting the dictatorship of Ferdinand E. Marcos — the current president’s father — from 1972 to 1986.

“True peace can only emerge when past wrongs are acknowledged, and those responsible are held to account. Duterte’s ICC warrant is not just a legal matter — it is a moral call for justice and truth,” said the Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation Commission of the CMSP, in their statement that was read at a thanksgiving Mass on Wednesday morning.

“We call on the Philippine government to fully cooperate with the ICC’s investigation and arrest orders. Justice must not be obstructed, and Duterte, along with those who enforced and enabled his reign of terror, must face the consequences of their actions,” the religious superiors said.

Their appeal, according to them, “is not about vengeance but about upholding the dignity of every person, especially the poor and vulnerable.”

Duterte is facing a crimes against humanity complaint at the ICC over alleged extrajudicial killings (EJKs) between November 1, 2011 and March 16, 2019. The dates covered the first three years of Duterte’s presidency from 2016 to 2019, and the preceding years when he was mayor of the southern Philippine city of Davao.

Priests and religious, including the newly created Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David of the Diocese of Kalookan, were among the staunchest critics of Duterte’s drug war.

The social action arm of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, in a separate statement on Tuesday, said it welcomes the latest developments in Dutete’s ICC case.

“For years, former president Duterte has claimed that he is ready to face the consequences of his actions. Now is the time for him to prove it,” said Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo, president of Caritas Philippines, which is supervised by the CBCP’s Episcopal Commission on Social Action-Justice and Peace.

“True justice is not about political allegiance or personal loyalty. It is about accountability, transparency, and the protection of human dignity. We urge Duterte to uphold his own words and submit himself to the legal process,” Bagaforo said.

Caritas Philippines pointed out that based on recent testimonies, the drug war killings during Duterte’s term “were state-sanctioned.”

“These killings were not random; they were part of a policy that violated the fundamental right to life,” said Caritas Philippines vice president Bishop Gerardo Alminaza. “The families of the victims deserve truth, reparations, and justice. As a nation, we must ensure that such crimes never happen again.”

The People’s Impeachment Movement, a new anti-Duterte group whose members include Catholic priests and Protestant pastors, also welcomed the ICC arrest warrant against the former president.

The PIM is a coalition calling for the speedy impeachment trial of the former president’s daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte, at the Philippine Senate. The Vice President is accused of misusing public money.

“This is the chapter long-awaited by families of EJK victims, who are still waiting for justice over their loved ones’ fate. This is also proof that the law keeps no sacred cows, even if you are a former president of the country,” said PIM member Father Bong Sarabia, one of those who filed impeachment complaints against the Vice President.

Father Jerome Secillano, rector of EDSA Shrine and spokesperson of the Archdiocese of Manila, said the days are over when Duterte’s words “would always be taken as the ‘truth.’” Now that he is out of power, his “once-mighty opinion on almost everything” is “simply ranting.

“Indeed, opinion has the semblance of ‘truth’ when one who says it is in a position of power. Out of it, once opinion doesn’t matter!” said Secillano. “With all the lies Duterte said, he’s lucky, he was once in power. Now, truth is fast catching up with him.”

Duterte has had a tense relationship with the Roman Catholic Church in this former Spanish colony — where nearly 79% of the population, or 85.65 million people, identify as Roman Catholic.

Further complicating his relationship with the Catholic hierarchy are his statements against the Church.

When he was still a presidential candidate, Duterte called Pope Francis a “son of a bitch” for causing heavy traffic during his 2015 trip to the Philippines. When he was already president, he called God “stupid” for allowing Adam and Eve to sin.

He also threatened to kill bishops and priests whom he branded as drug addicts.

Still, a vast majority in this predominantly Catholic nation supported Duterte during his six-year term.

In 2022, Filipinos elected his daughter as Vice President — and the late dictator’s son, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., as President — in an overwhelming vote that defied warnings from Catholic clergy.