Duterte under arrest for crimes vs. humanity - Malacañang

Metro Manila, Philippines - Former President Rodrigo Duterte has been arrested on a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity committed during his bloody drug campaign, Malacañang said on Tuesday, March 11.

Prosecutor General Richard Fadullon served the arrest warrant at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport after Duterte arrived from Hong Kong past 9 a.m. Tuesday for a thanksgiving event.

READ: Duterte dismisses arrest warrant reports, rallies supporters in Hong Kong

As the Philippines has withdrawn from the ICC in 2018, the arrest warrant was coursed through the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol), which the country is a member of.

“Kaninang madaling araw, natanggap ng INTERPOL Manila ang official copy ng warrant of arrest mula sa International Criminal Court,” Malacañang said in a statement.

[Translation: Early today, Interpol Manila received the official copy of the warrant of arrest from the International Criminal Court.]

“Ang dating pangulo at ang kanyang grupo ay nasa mabuting kalusugan at sinuri ng mga doctor ng gobyerno. Sinigurado na siya ay nasa maayos na kalagayan,” it added.

[Translation: The former president and his group are in good health and were checked by government doctors. The doctors assured authorities that he is in good condition.]

Duterte has carried out his relentless anti-drug campaign even when he was Davao City mayor, and continued this when he assumed the presidency in 2016.

“What is the law and what is the crime that I committed? Show to me now the legal basis for my being here. Apparently, I was brought here not of my own volition,” the former chief executive told arresting authorities.

The former president is under police custody.

Duterte ordered the country’s immediate withdrawal from the Rome Statute that established the ICC.

The ICC stressed that it has jurisdiction over crimes against humanity committed while the Philippines was still a member.

Based on human rights records, the drug war death toll reached up to 30,000.