Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is arrested as he returned to Manila from Hong Kong. — INQUIRER.NET/ANN Photo

MANILA — The Philippine Presidential Office said on Tuesday that the country's police had executed an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against former President Rodrigo Duterte.

The arrest took place on Tuesday morning (local time), immediately after he arrived at an airport in the capital Manila from Hong Kong.

According to the office, the Interpol office in Manila has received the official copy of the arrest warrant from the ICC.

The Philippine National Police executed the ICC arrest warrant against Duterte in connection with his controversial policy in the war on drugs while in office, which left thousands of people dead, it said.

Duterte's former lawyer said the arrest warrant was "illegal" as the former president had no legal representation at the time of his arrest.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Tuesday said that it is ready “to reinforce efforts to uphold national security and stability when necessary,” following the arrest of former president Rodrigo Duterte for his alleged crimes against humanity.

Ex-President Duterte cries illegal detention

Former president Rodrigo Duterte cried out illegal detention at Villamor Airbase after he was served an arrest warrant from the ICC.

Based on a series of videos posted by Duterte’s daughter, Veronica or “Kitty,” on Instagram, Duterte raised the issue inside at Villamor Airbase on Tuesday while in a conversation with Prosecutor General Anthony Fadullon.

Former Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, who was also present in their conversation, pointed out that no apparent case was presented to Duterte when he was served an arrest warrant. He also reminded Fadullon that the country was no longer a member state of the ICC.

ICC cites ‘reasonable grounds’ in issuing arrest order

The ICC has cited “reasonable grounds” in issuing an arrest warrant for former President Rodrigo Duterte for the crimes against humanity he allegedly committed during his administration’s bloody war against drugs.

Based on a copy of the arrest warrant obtained from the National Union of People’s Lawyers (NUPL), ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I Presiding Judge Iulia Antoanella Motoc issued the order on Friday, March 7, but was certified by ICC Registrar Osvaldo Zavala Giler on March 10.

According to the warrant, the chamber believes Duterte is “individually responsible” for the crime against humanity of murder “as an indirect co-perpetrator within the meaning of article 25(3)(a) of the Statute.”

The chamber also found “reasonable grounds” to believe that Duterte established and headed the so-called “Davao Death Squad” or DDS, composed of police officers and civilian hitmen whose mission was to kill suspects.

“There are reasonable grounds to believe that this attack was both widespread and systematic: the attack took place over a period of several years, and thousands people appear to have been killed,” the warrant reads, noting that the DDS was initially called the “Lambada Boys” when Duterte first became Davao mayor in 1998.

“The material before the Chamber shows that the killings shared common features, such as the location and modus operandi, including the method of killing, the profiles of victims and the profiles of perpetrators,” it adds.

The chamber also found reason to believe that Duterte and state forces agreed to “neutralize” individuals identified as criminals not limited to drug offenders “ initially in Davao and subsequently throughout the country.”

Furthermore, the chamber believed that at least 19 individuals were killed by DDS in Davao City and 24 more under the supervision of Philippine law enforcers.

The chamber explained the arrest of Duterte is “necessary” to ensure his appearance before the ICC because “there is no reasonable expectation that he would cooperate with a summons to appear issued by the Court.”

“The Chamber observes that Mr Duterte, even though no longer the President of the Philippines, appears to continue to wield considerable power,” the warrant reads.

“Mindful of the resultant risk of interference with the investigations and the security of witnesses and victims, the Chamber is satisfied that the arrest of Mr Duterte is necessary within the meaning of article 58(1)(b)(i) of the Statute to ensure his appearance before the Court,” it adds. — VNA/INQUIRER.NET/ANN