Marcos rejects claims of political persecution for Duterte

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. dismissed claims that former President Rodrigo Duterte's arrest is political persecution. He stated the government is following an arrest warrant from Interpol related to crimes against humanity during Duterte's drug war. Marcos noted that the case against Duterte began in 2017, before his presidency. He emphasized that the government has not cooperated with the International Criminal Court regarding Duterte's case. Duterte's plane departed for The Hague, where the ICC is located. The drug war has been linked to thousands of deaths, with estimates varying widely between official figures and those from human rights groups.