Credit: Greger Ravik (CC BY 2.0)

Mr Duterte, who served as president from 2016 to 2022, was arrested by Philippine police yesterday, though it is not yet clear when or how he will be transferred to The Hague.

The Philippines formally withdrew from the ICC in March 2019, during Mr Duterte’s rule, but the court retains jurisdiction over crimes which allegedly took place while it was a state party.

The arrest warrant concerns alleged crimes from 1 November 2011, while Mr Duterte was mayor of the city of Davao, to 16 March 2019.

The Philippine government previously said it would not co-operate with the ICC, but arrested Mr Duterte after being asked by Interpol, Philippine news website Rappler reports.

Mr Duterte’s arrest has been welcomed by human rights organisations in the Philippines and around the world.

Agnès Callamard, secretary-general of Amnesty International, said: “Rodrigo Duterte’s arrest is a long-awaited and monumental step for justice for the thousands of victims and survivors of his administration’s ‘war on drugs’, which turned much of the Philippines into a nation of mourning.

“The man who said ‘my job is to kill’ oversaw the killing of victims — including children — as part of a deliberate, widespread and well-organised campaign of state-sanctioned killings.

“Duterte’s arrest on an ICC warrant is a hopeful sign for victims in the Philippines and beyond. It shows that suspected perpetrators of the worst crimes, including government leaders, can and will face justice, wherever they are in the world.”

“At a time when too many governments renege on their ICC obligations while others attack or sanction international courts, Duterte’s arrest is a huge moment for the power of international law.”