Former Philippine president arrested on charges of crimes against humanity

Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was arrested on an International Criminal Court warrant upon arrival at Manila International Airport. Police arrested him on charges of crimes against humanity related to his repressive war on drugs.

Duterte had previously made headlines during a trip to Hong Kong, which sparked speculation that he might be trying to escape an international arrest warrant and live in exile. He spoke to cheers from thousands of Filipino expatriates at Saturn Stadium in Hong Kong's Wan Chai district on Sunday.

Duterte, 79, who is in poor health, was campaigning for his party's candidates ahead of the Philippines' midterm elections. In the speech, he acknowledged that he was aware of the International Criminal Court's arrest warrant.

However, he defended his policies again, drawing applause from the audience. Hours later, when he returned to the Philippines and got off a plane at Manila International Airport, police arrested him on an ICC warrant.

Duterte, who has served as a prosecutor, lawmaker and mayor of Davao City, has become known for his harsh and insulting remarks against elites, the Catholic Church and the West. He described himself as a supporter of the lower classes and a populist, but he is best known for his ruthless approach to crime, especially illegal drugs.

During Duterte’s mayoralty in Davao City in the early 2000s, about 1,000 suspects, mostly from the poor, were shot dead without trial. A police officer who was involved in the killings but later defected from Duterte told The Associated Press that in total about 10,000 people were killed on his orders by police and informal task forces.

The widespread crackdown earned him the nickname “the avenger.”

Duterte came to power in 2016 on a bold but failed promise to root out drugs and corruption. “I will kill all of you who are involved in drugs. I have no patience, there is no middle ground,” he said in a campaign speech in Manila. "Either you kill me, or I will destroy you."

After taking office on June 30, 2016, he immediately launched his deadly campaign described by the country’s Catholic leaders as a “reign of terror”. Over his six years in office, more than 7,000 people were killed in official anti-drug operations, according to police records.

But human rights advocates said the death toll numbered more than 30,000, including those killed by unknown suspects, some of whom later turned out to be police officers.