Rodrigo Duterte, the former president of the Philippines, was arrested on Tuesday (Mar 11) in Manila, after the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued a warrant. The 79-year-old was detained at Manila's international airport following a brief trip to Hong Kong. 

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Supporters of Duterte expressed their sadness and outrage at his arrest as 30-year-old Rose, told news agency Reuters, "I'm sad, dismayed and angry at what happened." Holding back tears, she further said that Duterte is "old and he did not deserve what they did to him." 

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Who is Rodrigo Duterte? 

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Duterte is a lawyer and politician who served as the 16th president of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022. He was born on March 28, 1945, in Maasin, Southern Leyte. Before becoming president, Duterte rose to prominence as the mayor of Davao City, a position he held for over 22 years. 

Duterte implemented several notable policies during his presidency, which included a controversial war on drugs. This policy led to the deaths of thousands of people. 

He also launched a massive infrastructure plan, initiated liberal economic reforms and streamlined government processes. 

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Why was Rodrigo Duterte arrested? 

Duterte was arrested in connection with his alleged role in extrajudicial killings during his presidency. He faces the charge of "the crime against humanity of murder", according to the ICC, for a crackdown that rights groups estimate killed tens of thousands of mostly poor men.

ICC alleged that they were often killed without proof they were linked to drugs. 

"Early in the morning, Interpol Manila received the official copy of the warrant of the arrest from the ICC," the presidential palace said in a statement, adding, "As of now, he is under the custody of authorities."

The statement added that "the former president and his group are in good health and are being checked by government doctors". 

Duterte's former chief legal counsel, Salvador Panelo, called the arrest "unlawful". "The (Philippine National Police) didn’t allow one of his lawyers to meet him at the airport and to question the legal basis for PRRD's arrest," he said, adding a hard copy of the ICC warrant had not been provided. 

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Philippines and ICC

The Philippines quit the ICC in 2019 on Duterte's instructions. However, the tribunal maintained it had jurisdiction over killings before the pullout, as well as killings in the southern city of Davao when Duterte was mayor, years before he became president. 

A formal inquiry was launched by ICC in September 2021, but it was suspended two months later. Manila had said that it was re-examining several hundred cases of drug operations. 

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The case resumed in July 2023 after a five-judge panel rejected the Philippines' objection that the court lacked jurisdiction.

The Marcos government has said several times that it would not cooperate with the investigation. 

But Undersecretary of the Presidential Communications Office Claire Castro on Sunday said that if Interpol would "ask the necessary assistance from the government, it is obliged to follow". 

(With inputs from agencies)