Philippine officials confirm detention of former President Duterte
Xinhua Manila, March 11 (Reporters Zhang Yisheng, Nie Xiaoyang) — The Philippine Presidential Communications Office issued a statement on the 11th announcing that former President Rodrigo Duterte was detained by police upon his return to Manila from abroad earlier that day.
The statement indicated that Duterte arrived in Manila via flight around 9:20 a.m. local time, where authorities presented him with an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC). After undergoing a government-arranged medical examination confirming he was in good health, Duterte was "currently detained by authorities."
According to the statement, Interpol’s Manila office received the ICC arrest warrant earlier that morning.
Duterte contested the detention. In a video released by his family on the 11th, he demanded: “What crime have I committed? … I was brought here not by my own will, but by the will of others.”
Salvador Panelo, who served as Duterte’s legal counsel and spokesperson during his presidency, stated in a separate declaration that the arrest warrant originated from “unsubstantiated sources” and emphasized that the ICC holds no jurisdiction in the Philippines.
The Philippines officially withdrew from the ICC in 2019.
Duterte’s controversial anti-drug campaign, launched during his presidency, drew significant domestic and international scrutiny for its aggressive tactics and human rights concerns.
And video:
Edit: Do we have members in Philippine? Care to share the update?