Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was arrested at Ninoy Aquino International Airport on Tuesday. He will now go through the booking process at Camp Crame, the main office of the Philippine National Police.
A police source said the arrest warrant was given to Duterte by Anthony Alcantara, a special envoy from the Office of the President. Duterte will be documented at Camp Crame.
When the warrant was served, Duterte was heard saying, “You will just have to kill me.” However, he did not resist and went with the police.
Duterte had just returned to Manila from a vacation in Hong Kong on Cathay Pacific flight CX907. He faces possible criminal charges related to his war on drugs, a key policy during his presidency that began in 2016.
At the airport, he was met by officials from the Department of Justice, the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), and members of the International Criminal Court (ICC). They were waiting at Gate 116 of Terminal 3.
Duterte was escorted by police to another terminal. Supporters chanted his name when Philip Salvador, Senator Bong Go, and former Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello arrived.
There are reports that Interpol has issued a Red Notice for Duterte. A Red Notice is an international alert telling law enforcement agencies that someone is wanted for prosecution or to serve a sentence.
Philippine authorities have not shared details about the charges, but they are likely connected to the ICC’s investigation into alleged crimes against humanity during Duterte’s war on drugs.
The ICC started its investigation in September 2021, saying there is evidence of thousands of extrajudicial killings during anti-drug operations. The court believes these killings were systematic and may be crimes against humanity.
