By: Pauline Ritchel Ramos
Photo from CNN
Former President Rodrigo Duterte is arrested upon arrival at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) on Mar. 11 following a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged crimes against humanity.
Duterte was taken into police custody upon returning from a Thanksgiving gathering in Hong Kong with overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).
The Presidential Communications Office (PCO) affirms in their statement published on PCO’s Facebook page Interpol Manila obtained a formal copy of the ICC arrest warrant early Tuesday morning.
In PCO’s statement, the ICC’s Prosecutor Generalsubmitted the notification for Duterte’s arrest upon his arrival.
PCO reassures that the former president is healthy and hasd been examined by official physicians.
“Ang dating Pangulo at ang kanyang grupo ay nasa mabuting kalusugan at sinuri ng mga doctor ng gobyerno. Sinigurado na siya ay nasa maayos na kalagayan,” the statement read. .
Senator Bong Go, Duterte’s longtime aide, arrived at the airport alongside his personal physician and an ambulance.
Despite concerns over Duterte’s health, he is transported to Villamor Airbase for further processing, as per reports.
"Kahapon nagrereklamo po siya, sumasakit daw ang kanyang likod, ayon sa kanyang pamilya," Go said in a Facebook live stream.
He also revealed that Duterte was scheduled for a medical procedure on Mar. 12.
In an exclusive interview with GMA News, Duterte said he would legally challenge the warrant.
Before disembarking from the aircraft, he reportedly stated, "You will just have to kill me. Hindi ako papayag kung kakampi d'yan sa mga puti."
Meanwhile, the ICC reiterated that official announcements regarding Duterte’s arrest warrant would only come from its authorized channels.
ICC spokesperson Fadi El Abdallah told Inquirer that the court had not released any public statements about the matter but confirmed that an ongoing investigation into the Philippines was in place.
“ICC announcements come from our official channels. The Court has not issued any press release about this matter. The Office of the Prosecutor has an ongoing investigation in relation to the situation in the Philippines,” El Abdallah said.
Confidentiality remains essential in the ICC’s probe to protect victims and witnesses, he added.
The ongoing investigation into Duterte's arrest is related to the administration's war on drugs, which started when he was mayor of Davao City and spread across the country after he became president in 2016.
On Mar. 17, 2019, the Philippines formally left the ICC's Rome Statute.
However, from Nov. 1, 2011, until Mar. 16, 2019, ICC Special Prosecutor Karim Khan insisted that the court still has jurisdiction over alleged abuses and extrajudicial killings.
Former Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo alleges the arrest is unlawful because the warrant comes from a ‘spurious’ source, referring to the ICC.
“It is an illegal arrest because the ICC arrest warrant comes from a spurious source, the ICC, which has no jurisdiction over the Philippines,” Panelo claimed.
Duterte’s legal team has yet to issue an official statement regarding the next course of action following his arrest.