HONG KONG (AP) – An unannounced trip to Hong Kong by former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte sparked speculation on Sunday that he may be trying to avoid a possible arrest warrant. International Criminal Court above him Bloody crackdown While in power, about drugs.
Duterte and his daughter – the incumbent Philippine vice president was a leading speaker at a campaign rally at Southhorn Stadium in the busy Wanchai Commercial District ahead of the May 12 midterm elections in the Philippines. Thousands of cheers and flag-waving Filipino expatriates packed the stadium and watched Duterte speak.
In his lethal speech, Duterte reiterated that he was ready to be jailed, touching on news reports that the ICC could issue a warrant for an arrest.
The ICC is investigating numerous killings by police and gunmen under the former president’s crackdown on illegal drugs, which has resulted in the death of thousands of poor suspects.
Duterte denied that he allowed extrajudicial killings, but he openly said I’ve been threatened repeatedly Killing suspicious drug dealers between 2016 and 2022.
“What was my sin?” Duterte asked in a speech in Hong Kong. “I did everything in my time so that the Filipinos could have a little peace and quiet.”
“If this is the fate of my life, it’s fine, I’ll accept it. If I’m arrested and imprisoned, I can’t do anything,” said the former populist president, now 79, who is in poor health.
He told the crowd of jest to make a small contribution to the construction of his monument.
The Associated Press journalist was initially permitted to cover Duterte to enter the stadium, but was later kicked out by the event’s unidentified organizers.
A senior Philippine official said the former president is due to return to Manila on Tuesday, but another Philippine official said Duterte had the option to extend his stay in Hong Kong. Both authorities spoke on condition of anonymity. Because they were not given the authority to publicly discuss sensitive issues.
In Manila’s Philippine capital, communications chief Jay Lewis said that Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s administration president is ready to handle any situation arising from issuing an ICC arrest warrant.
“We have heard that an arrest warrant has been issued by the International Criminal Court against former President Rodrigo Duterte for crimes against humanity,” Lewis told reporters in a statement. “The government is prepared for any unforeseen circumstances.
Additional police have been deployed in Davao, the city of Duterte’s hometown of Southern Philippines, to enhance security at international airports and new men’s checkpoints. Philippine police told reporters that the move to allow law enforcement to handle any contingencies is part of the exercise.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Philippine law enforcement says that if the ICC seeks control of his predecessor, it will be fully cooperating.
The Hague-based ICC was created in 2002 to serve as a last resort court for the most serious international crimes, genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and attacks. If the state is unable to prosecute or prosecute a crime on its territory, the ICC will be involved.
Around 125 countries have signed Roman law, the basic treaty of the courts, but China, which controls Hong Kong, is not the case.
Duterte Retracted the Philippines From the ICC in 2019, activists said it was an attempt to avoid accountability and prevent international investigation into drug killings. However, the ICC has jurisdiction over alleged crimes committed while the Philippines was a member.
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Jim Gomez of Manila, Philippines, contributed to this report.
