Philippines former President Rodrigo Duterte denounces legality after his arrest

​​​​​​​By Saadet Gokce

ISTANBUL (AA) - Former Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte denounced the legality of his arrest Tuesday in Manila after the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued a warrant that accused him of crimes against humanity during his war on drugs.

“What is the law and what is the crime that I committed? Prove to me now the legal basis for my being here, apparently, I was brought here not of my own volition, it’s somebody else’s,” he said in a video of his statement on social media.

“You know how to exercise due process. Before you can even file charges, you have to file a complaint. We have to file a counter … without doing those procedures,” former Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea said in the video, calling the arrest warrant “questionable.”

The video was recorded at the Villamor Airbase in Metro Manila during a conversation with Prosecutor General Anthony Fadullon, according to the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

Medialdea reminded Fadullon that the Philippines is no longer a member of the ICC, asking, “Don’t you feel bothered that we are doing this, following an entity we are no longer a member of, that we have withdrawn from?” the media outlet translated.

The Philippines ratified the Rome Statute in 2011, giving the ICC jurisdiction over crimes committed from then until 2019, when the country withdrew from the court.

Earlier, the Presidential Communications Office said the arrest warrant had been received by the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) in Manila early Tuesday, according to the state-run news agency.

Duterte was taken into custody at the airport in the Philippine capital after returning from Hong Kong. Duterte said he was prepared for his possible arrest while in Hong Kong.

Reports indicate that the international court issued the arrest order as part of its investigation into alleged crimes against humanity committed during Duterte’s nationwide anti-drug trafficking operations between 2016 and 2022.

Duterte has repeatedly refused to acknowledge the ICC’s jurisdiction and declined to cooperate with its investigations.​​​​​​​