Former Philippines president arrested on international court warrant

Rodrigo Duterte, former president of the Philippines, is facing major charges of crimes against humanity from the International Criminal Court (ICC) after being arrested in Manila.

Duterte, who was arrested on March 11th in the Filipino capital returning from a trip to Hong Kong, had a warrant issued by the ICC for his arrest pertaining to his policies in his war on drugs during his time as president, reported Anadolu Ajansi.

“The former president and his entourage are in good health and have been examined by government doctors. They have assured him that he is in good condition,” said the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) in a statement.

While in Hong Kong, Duterte said that he was read to face his possible arrest. “If this is truly my fate in life, it’s okay. I will accept it. They can arrest me, imprison me,” he said while addressing a rally of Filipino workers based in Hong Kong.

Reports indicate that the warrant was issued as part of an ICC investigation into alleged crimes against humanity committed during his nationwide anti-drug trafficking operations in his presidency from 2016 to 2022.

Duterte has rejected the ICC’s jurisdiction and has refused to cooperate with its investigations. While the Philippines withdrew from the court in 2019, the court maintains jurisdiction over alleged crimes committed while it was signed up to it before then.

Anadolu Ajansi