Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte speaks at the Southorn Stadium during a thanksgiving gathering organized by Hong Kong-based Filipino workers for the former populist leader in Hong Kong on Sunday, March 9. Duterte said during a visit to the city that he would accept a warrant for his arrest if one were issued. © AP
RAMON ROYANDOYAN
MANILA -- The Philippine National Police on Tuesday arrested former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte in connection with an investigation by the International Criminal Court (ICC) into a campaign against illegal drugs that claimed the lives of thousands of Filipinos during his tenure as head of state.
The former leader, who was in power form 2016-2022, was arrested at Manila's Ninoy Aquino International Airport after returning from Hong Kong, a hub for overseas Filipino workers, where he stayed over the weekend to campaign for his senatorial slate in the upcoming midterm elections.