Former Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte said in Hong Kong that he was ready for possible arrest amid reports that the International Criminal Court (ICC) was about to issue a warrant over his years-long “war on drugs” that killed thousands.
The war on drugs was the signature campaign policy that swept Duterte to power in 2016 as a maverick, crime-busting mayor, who delivered on promises he made during vitriolic speeches to kill thousands of narcotics dealers.
The office of the current President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said on Monday no official communication had been received from Interpol yet, but indicated Duterte could be handed over.
“Our law enforcers are ready to follow what law dictates, if the warrant of arrest needs to be served because of a request from Interpol,” Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro told media persons.
The ICC’s prosecutor’s office said it has no comment on the reports.
“Confidentiality is a crucial part of out work and is essential to protect the integrity of investigations and to ensure the safety and security of victims, witnesses and all those with whom the Office interacts,” its public information units said.
Duterte is expected to return to Manila from Hong Kong on Tuesday, his former spokesperson said in a Facebook post.
He was in the city to speak at a campaign rally attended by thousands of Filipino workers, hoping to boost support for his senatorial candidates in upcoming Philippine midterm elections.
“Assuming it’s true, why did I do it? For myself? For my family? For you and your children, and for our nation,” Duterte told the rally, justifying his anti-narcotics campaign.
“If this is truly my fate in life, it’s okay, I will accept it. They can arrest me, imprison me.
“What is my sin? I did everything in my time for peace and a peaceful life for the Filipino people,” he told the cheering crowds in Hong Kong’s Southorn Stadium, appearing with his daughter, the Philippines Vice President Sara Duterte.
A Hong Kong police unit for protecting VIPs was stationed in the vicinity of the hotel where Duterte is staying, a Reuters journalist said.
A spokesperson for China’s Foreign Ministry Commissioner’s Office in Hong Kong said it was aware of the visit and the rally had been applied for in advance in accordance with Hong Kong laws.
“It is understood that Mr. Duterte and Ms. Sarah’s visit to Hong Kong is a private holiday,” the spokesperson said.
The Hong Kong government’s security bureau and police gave no response to a request for comment.
The Philippines presidential office dismissed speculation that Duterte might evade the law by visiting Hong Kong, while appealing to Duterte’s supporters to allow the legal process to take its course.
China-ruled Hong Kong is not a party to the ICC.
During a congressional hearing last year into his crackdown on drugs, Duterte said he was not scared of the ICC and told it to “hurry up” on its investigation.
The firebrand Duterte unilaterally withdrew the Philippines from the ICC’s founding treaty in 2019 when it started looking into allegations of systematic extrajudicial killings.
More recently, the Philippines has signalled it is ready to cooperate with the investigation in certain areas.
(With inputs from Reuters)
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