Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte put on plane to The Hague

MANILA: Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte (79) was arrested for his alleged role in the killing of thousands of citizens in the name of the war on drugs. The arrest follows the issuance of a warrant against Rodrigo by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Duterte was arrested by police immediately after he arrived at Manila Airport on Tuesday morning after a visit to Hong Kong. The police team with Rodrigo left for the ICC headquarters in The Hague, Netherlands, within hours after the arrest.

It is reported that during Rodrigo's presidency from 2016 to 2022, more than 6,000 drug suspects were shot dead by police and unknown gunmen. Rodrigo had previously denied the allegations, and even agreed to the idea of going to prison in his own country but not anywhere else.

Rodrigo withdrew the Philippines' membership from the ICC in 2019. Rodrigo, whose mass appeal has not diminished among supporters, is vouching for his support base to protest against the arrest. His supporters have already started hitting the streets demanding the ICC to rescind the move, citing the international organisation's lack of authority. However, the ICC reiterated that they still have jurisdiction over alleged crimes that occurred before the withdrawal of membership.