Manila, Philippines – The office of the President of the Philippines has reported the arrest of the country’s ex-President Rodrigo Duterte after receiving a request from the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Duterte was taken into custody on Tuesday at Manila airport upon his arrival from Hong Kong, according to the Philippine government, which received the request through the Interpol.

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Duterte is facing allegations of “crimes against humanity” during a brutal anti-drugs drive while he was in office.

His so-called “war on drugs”, while he was president from 2016-2022, deprived suspects of “due process under the law”, according to the arrest warrant, and resulted in the deaths of thousands of people, including children.

Defending his actions amid reports of his possible arrest, Duterte had previously said that he “did everything…for the Filipino people”.

“If it’s really my fate in life, that’s OK, I will accept it. There’s nothing I can do about it. If I’m arrested, if I’m jailed, so be it,” he had said.

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Over the course of Duterte’s six-year presidency over 7,000 people were killed in official operations, according to police records.

However, previously published reports showed different numbers, pointing to what some critics claim are inconsistencies in record-keeping.

Human rights advocates said the killings numbered over 30,000, including those killed by unknown suspects, some of whom later turned out to be police officers.

In a statement on Tuesday, the Human Rights Watch (HRW) described Duterte’s arrest as “a critical step for accountability in the Philippines.”

“His arrest could bring victims and their families closer to justice and sends the clear message that no one is above the law. The Marcos government should swiftly surrender him to the ICC,” Bryony Lau, Deputy Asia Director of HRW, said.

This is a breaking news story. We will bring you more shortly.