Philippine police have arrested former president Rodrigo Duterte after the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued a warrant accusing him of crimes against humanity over his deadly “war on drugs”.
Duterte was arrested by police in Manila airport shortly after he arrived from Hong Kong.
Duterte’s brutal anti-drugs crackdown, which occurred when he was president of the Southeast Asian nation from 2016 to 2022, saw thousands of people killed.
The 79-year-old had earlier said he was ready to go to prison, when responding to reports of his possible arrest.
Duterte’s former presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo has slammed the arrest, saying it was “unlawful” as the Philippines had withdrawn from the ICC.
But the ICC earlier said that it has jurisdiction in the Philippines over alleged crimes committed before the country withdrew as a member.
Duterte, a former mayor of one of the country’s largest cities, swept to power on the promise of a widespread crackdown against crime.
But critics said his “war on drugs” led to police abuse and that many of the drug suspects were summarily executed. He has denied the allegations.
He cultivated an image of a tough-talking and anti-establishment man of the masses, endearing him to Filipinos who elected him as the country’s first President from the southern island of Mindanao.
His daughter, Sara Duterte, is the Philippines’ current vice-president.
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