The Philippine government announced on Tuesday that former President Rodrigo Duterte was arrested upon his arrival at Manila’s main airport, following an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) via Interpol.
The ICC seeks to investigate crimes against humanity linked to Duterte’s bloody war on drugs, which claimed thousands of lives.
Speaking in Hong Kong on Monday, Duterte said he was ready to be arrested if the ICC issued a warrant. He has repeatedly defended his anti-drug campaign, denying that he ever ordered police to kill suspects unless it was in self-defense.
The office of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. confirmed receiving an official copy of the warrant and executing the arrest. In a statement, it announced that Duterte is now in custody.
According to police reports, 6,200 suspects were killed during anti-drug operations, all allegedly in armed confrontations.
However, human rights activists argue that the true death toll is much higher, with thousands of drug users and low-income individuals being killed under mysterious circumstances, many of them listed in official “watch lists.”
Reuters
