In a year marked by political upheaval, legal reckonings, and international intrigue, the Philippines has found itself at the center of a string of headline-grabbing events that have reverberated far beyond its shores. From the dramatic arrest and extradition of former president Rodrigo Duterte to the Hague, to a cascade of scandals involving prominent politicians, religious leaders, and even maritime confrontations, 2025 has been anything but ordinary for the archipelago nation.
Perhaps the most seismic development came on March 11, 2025, when former president Rodrigo Duterte was apprehended at Ninoy Aquino International Airport under an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant. According to Philstar, Duterte had just returned from an event with overseas Filipinos when he was met by a police team led by then-Maj. Gen. Nicolas Torre III, chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG). The situation quickly escalated, with Duterte’s family members reportedly clashing with law enforcement—his partner Honeylet Avanceña allegedly struck a Special Action Force officer, while his daughter Kitty Duterte was overheard cursing at Torre. After hours of tense negotiations at Villamor Airbase, Duterte was escorted onto a private jet bound for The Hague, Netherlands, where he has been detained at the Scheveningen prison since March 13.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. wasted no time in addressing the public, explaining that the government’s decision to surrender Duterte to the ICC was rooted in the country’s obligations to Interpol. The Philippine National Police (PNP) echoed this rationale, emphasizing that the arrest was strictly in line with their duty to the Philippine Center for Transnational Crime and the implementation of the Interpol red notice. Both Torre and then-PNP Chief Gen. Rommel Marbil publicly declared their readiness to face any legal consequences stemming from their roles in Duterte’s transfer.
The arrest has reignited debates over Duterte’s controversial anti-drug campaign, which has been linked to thousands of deaths and accusations of extrajudicial killings. In the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision affirming the conviction of three police officers for the 2017 killing of 17-year-old Kian delos Santos, calls for accountability have only intensified. Presidential Communications Office Secretary Dave Gomez remarked, “We still need to review the Supreme Court decision. But this development underscores the need to consider the proposal from the church, civil society, and some members of Congress for an independent truth commission to probe more deeply into these extrajudicial killings.”
House Deputy Minority Leader Leila de Lima, who has long been a vocal critic of Duterte’s drug war, renewed her call for the creation of a truth commission to investigate the deaths. “We expect nothing less than the affirmation of the conviction of the three police officers involved in the brutal killing of 17-year-old Kian delos Santos. And beyond these low-level perpetrators, we continue to seek accountability from those with higher or highest responsibility for the carnage executed under the murderous War on Drugs, including its enablers,” de Lima stated. She urged lawmakers to swiftly pass the Truth Commission on Extrajudicial Killings Act and the Anti-EJK Act, arguing these measures are vital for justice, national healing, and the prevention of future abuses.
While Duterte’s legal saga unfolds on the world stage, other prominent Filipinos have also faced the long arm of justice this year. Expelled Negros Oriental Representative Arnolfo Teves Jr., accused of masterminding the 2023 assassination of Governor Roel Degamo and eight others, was deported from Timor-Leste on May 29, 2025. After years as a fugitive and a failed asylum bid, Teves was returned to Manila, where he now faces multiple criminal charges, including murder and illegal possession of explosives. Despite being allowed to post bail in a 2019 murder case, Teves remains detained for the more serious charges related to Degamo’s death.
The year’s legal drama didn’t end there. The government’s crackdown on Philippine offshore gaming operators (Pogo) continued to make waves after the December 31, 2024 deadline for shutdowns. Fallout from the ban extended into 2025, with high-profile convictions, including that of former Bamban Mayor Alice Guo, and a spate of arrest warrants for figures such as former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque and businesswoman Cassandra Ong. Roque, who fled the country in 2024 amid mounting scrutiny, sought asylum in the Netherlands. In 2025, the Philippine government requested an Interpol red notice for his arrest, but Roque has maintained his innocence and insisted he is a legitimate asylum seeker under Dutch and EU law. Despite rumors of his arrest in The Hague, Roque clarified that he was declared unfit to travel by doctors and has not been detained.
Meanwhile, the saga of religious leader Apollo Quiboloy took a new turn as the United States formally requested his extradition in June 2025 on charges of labor and sex trafficking. Quiboloy, founder of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, faces serious allegations of running a fraudulent charity scheme and abusing church members, including forcing women into so-called “night duty.” After months in hiding, Quiboloy was arrested in Davao City and remains in custody at the Pasig City Jail, where his health has also become a concern following a bout with pneumonia. The Pasig Regional Trial Court has denied his motion for house arrest, and the extradition process is ongoing.
Not to be outdone, the country’s political landscape was further rocked by the flood control scandal involving ex-Ako Bicol Partylist Representative Zaldy Co. Accused of orchestrating massive budget insertions and irregularities in infrastructure projects, Co resigned from Congress and now faces graft, malversation, and falsification charges. The Ombudsman filed formal charges against him and several others in November, and the National Bureau of Investigation has requested an Interpol red notice as authorities continue their search for Co, whose whereabouts are currently unknown.
Beyond the legal and political turmoil, the Philippines also found itself at the center of international maritime tensions. On August 11, 2025, two Chinese vessels—a China Coast Guard ship and a People’s Liberation Army-Navy warship—collided in Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal in the West Philippine Sea. The incident, which damaged both ships and left several Chinese personnel overboard, heightened fears of further Chinese aggression in the region. The Philippine Coast Guard, whose ship narrowly avoided the collision, commended its crew for their professionalism, while Beijing responded by announcing plans to establish a so-called “national nature reserve” at the disputed shoal.
Security concerns also spilled over into the international arena after Australian authorities linked suspects in the Bondi Beach attack to recent stays in Davao City, raising questions about the Philippines’ reputation as a potential terror training ground. However, both the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the National Security Council dismissed these claims as outdated and misleading, emphasizing that IS-linked groups in the country have been decimated since the Marawi Siege in 2017.
With so many threads of accountability, justice, and sovereignty intertwining in 2025, the Philippines faces a pivotal moment. The outcomes of these high-profile cases and political reckonings will not only shape the nation’s future but also its standing on the global stage.
