Former President Rodrigo Duterte was taken into custody on Tuesday after the Philippine government said it received an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant for his arrest for alleged crimes against humanity.
During his time in office, Duterte presided over a sweeping and brutal anti-drugs crackdown that killed more than 6,000 people, according to police data, though independent monitors believe the number of extrajudicial killings could be much higher.
“Earlier this morning, INTERPOL Manila received the official copy of the arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC),” according to a statement from the Presidential Communications Office.
Duterte returned to the Philippine capital Manila on Tuesday from Hong Kong after delivering a fiery speech to the city’s Filipino diaspora at a campaign rally on Sunday.
“Upon his arrival, the Prosecutor General filed an ICC notification for an arrest warrant against the former President for crimes against humanity,” the statement said, adding that the former president is currently in the custody of authorities.
During the event in Hong Kong, Duterte lashed out at the ICC investigation amid speculation the global body would issue a warrant for his arrest over his role in his controversial war on drugs operations.
