MANILA: Former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte was arrested on Tuesday (Mar 11) after landing at Manila’s international airport by police acting on an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant over his deadly war on drugs, the presidential palace said.
“Early in the morning, Interpol Manila received the official copy of the warrant of the arrest from the ICC,” the palace said in a statement.
“As of now, he is under the custody of authorities.”
The Philippines president’s office also said that Duterte was in “good health”.
His former lawyer and spokesperson said Duterte’s arrest was unlawful and the former leader had no legal representation.
Salvador Panelo, who was Duterte’s legal aide and a spokesperson during his 2016-2022 presidency, in a statement said the Interpol arrest warrant came from “a spurious source”, as the International Criminal Court had no jurisdiction in the Philippines.
The ICC says it has jurisdiction in the Philippines over alleged crimes committed before the country withdrew as a member.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/duterte-philippines-arrest-icc-manila-4992241
