Rodrigo Duterte, the former president of the Philippines, was arrested on Tuesday at Manila airport under a warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC), which alleges he committed crimes against humanity during his controversial war on drugs.

The arrest took place shortly after Duterte returned from a brief trip to Hong Kong, where he spoke to Filipino workers and criticized the ICC's investigation into his administration's drug policies.

Since its inception in 2016, Duterte's anti-drug campaign has been under scrutiny by human rights organizations, which estimate that tens of thousands of individuals, predominantly from impoverished backgrounds, were killed by police and vigilante groups without substantiation of their involvement in drug-related activities.

The ICC initiated an investigation into this campaign, suggesting it may amount to crimes against humanity.

An official statement from the Philippine presidency confirmed that Interpol in Manila received a copy of the arrest warrant from the ICC and noted that Duterte is currently in custody.

It also stated that both the former president and his entourage are in good health and undergoing medical examinations.

Duterte, 79 years old, had previously expressed disdain for the ICC, describing its officials in derogatory terms during public addresses while affirming that he would accept the consequences of legal actions against him.

While the Philippines withdrew from the ICC in 2019 under Duterte's directive, the court in The Hague has maintained jurisdiction over alleged crimes committed before the country's exit, including illicit activities that occurred in Davao City when Duterte was mayor.

Official Philippine government data indicates that over 6,000 individuals were killed during the anti-drug operations under Duterte’s presidency.

However, prosecutors from the ICC have estimated the death toll to be between 12,000 and 30,000, based on their inquiries.

Duterte retains significant popularity among many Filipinos who supported his aggressive tactics against crime.

He remains a formidable political force and is running for re-election as mayor in the upcoming midterm elections in May.

Having referred to himself as a killer, Duterte encouraged law enforcement to use lethal force against suspected drug traffickers if their lives were threatened, claiming that his measures were necessary to protect families and prevent the Philippines from descending into a 'narco-state.' In a Senate hearing in October, Duterte defended his administration's actions, asserting that he had no excuses for his decisions, which he claimed were made for the benefit of the nation.