Rodrigo Duterte arrested in Manila for alleged crimes against humanity

Former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte has been arrested in Manila at the request of the International Criminal Court for his role in the country’s “war on drugs”, which human rights groups say led to the summary executions of thousands of people.

Duterte,79, was escorted by authorities through the airport on Tuesday morning local time on his return from Hong Kong, where he had been speaking at a campaign rally for expat Filipinos.

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The ICC alleged that Duterte committed crimes against humanity from 2011, when he was still mayor of the southern city of Davao until he withdrew the Philippines from the Rome Statute that sets out the court’s jurisdiction over genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.

The maverick leader came to power in 2016, promising to be tough on drugs, but his signature policy drew widespread and international criticism for its brutality.

More to come