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Former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte has been detained under an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court after a deadly crackdown on drugs that resulted in the deaths of thousands of mostly poor Filipinos across the south-east Asian country.
Duterte, 79, was arrested in Manila on Tuesday immediately on his return from a trip to Hong Kong, the communications office of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said in a statement.
Police arrested Duterte after Interpol Manila received the official copy of the arrest warrant issued by the ICC for “crimes against humanity”, Marcos’ office said.
Duterte launched a “war on drugs” after taking office in 2016. The crackdown on illicit narcotics became his signature policy. The campaign targeted suspected drug dealers and users across the country and triggered global alarm over extrajudicial killings.
More than 6,200 Filipinos were killed in the crackdown, according to the Philippine government, but rights groups say the official toll underestimates the number of lives lost.
The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights estimated the death toll at 8,663 in a 2020 report, although it also noted that other groups have put the toll at more than triple that number.
The ICC began a preliminary investigation in 2018 into allegations of extrajudicial killings during the course of anti-drug operations.
Duterte withdrew the Philippines from the ICC once the probe began, but the administration of Marcos, who succeeded Duterte as president, has indicated it would co-operate with the court.
The two powerful political families are engaged in a bitter feud. Duterte’s daughter Sara serves as Marcos’ vice-president.
Last year, Sara Duterte said she had hired an assassin to kill Marcos, though she has since tried to walk back those comments. An impeachment motion has been filed against her over the threat.
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