Former Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has been detained in Hong Kong, after the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued a warrant for his arrest.
Duterte initiated a sweeping crackdown on drug use and trafficking in the Southeast Asian country.
Human rights groups estimate the crackdown is responsible for tens of thousands of unlawful killings.
ICC prosecutors allege “the crime against humanity of murder has been committed,” as well as torture, sexual violence, and “enforced disappearance”.
Duterte
Duterte was the mayor of the city of Davao for 22 years before being elected president in 2016.
As both mayor and president, Duterte ran a wide-reaching anti-drug campaign. Soon after becoming president, he told Filipinos to “go ahead and kill” people addicted to drugs.
Under Duterte’s presidency, police allegedly carried out thousands of extrajudicial killings (outside the court system). Human Rights Watch has said the “urban poor” were the primary targets.
ICC
The ICC is a UN body tasked with investigating crimes against humanity. It has the power to issue arrest warrants and compel people to appear before a tribunal at the Hague, the Netherlands.
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125 countries are parties to the ICC, meaning they recognise its power and must arrest anyone on their soil with an active warrant.
Duterte pulled the Philippines out of the ICC in 2019, after it started investigating his anti-drug campaign.
Prosecutors alleged in their application to the ICC: “President Duterte and other high-level government officials... reportedly encouraged, supported, enabled, and excused the killing of drug users and drug dealers.”
While the Philippines has not re-joined the court under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, the country’s leader said in November he would not stop international police from arresting Duterte.
Duterte’s daughter Sara is currently the Vice President of the Philippines.
Arrest
On Tuesday, the Philippines Presidential Communications Office confirmed Duterte is being held in custody after arriving in Manila on a flight from Hong Kong.
In a statement, the office said Duterte has received an official copy of his arrest warrant.
They added he was in “good health” and had been examined by doctors.
