MANILA — The Philippines said former President Rodrigo Duterte is under police custody after the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant following an investigation into his deadly drug war.
Duterte was arrested by police at the Manila airport shortly after his arrival from Hong Kong. Interpol Manila received a copy of the arrest warrant from the ICC, according to a statement from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr's communications office on Tuesday.
"Upon his arrival, the Prosecutor General served the ICC notification for an arrest warrant for the former president for crimes against humanity," the statement said.
Duterte's anti-narcotics campaign during his 2016-2022 presidency killed more than 6,000 people, according to government data. Human rights groups estimate the death toll to have been higher, mostly among the poor.
Duterte, 79, is running for mayor of Davao City on the southern island of Mindanao in the May midterm election, seeking to reclaim a post that gave him national prominence for endorsing a shoot-to-kill style crackdown on crime. He is the father of incumbent Vice President Sara Duterte.