Former President of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte speaks inside the Southorn Stadium during a thanksgiving gathering organized by Hong Kong-based Filipino workers for the former populist president in Hong Kong on Sunday, March 9, 2025. Associated Press
MANILA, Philippines — Former president Rodrigo Duterte is now under police custody.
Senator Bong Go confirmed this to reporters here at Ninoy Aquino International Airport on Tuesday morning.
“Nasa PNP na po,” Go told reporters of Duterte.
READ: Interpol official at Naia as Duterte arrives from Hong Kong
Former labor chief Silvestre Bello III, who accompanied Go, said Duterte is now at Camp Crame in Quezon City.
“Yun ang sabi sa akin ni (PNP chief) General Marbil,” Bello told reporters when asked if Duterte is now in Camp Crame.
Bello also said a “document” was served to Duterte, but it could not yet be determined if it’s a warrant of arrest.
Duterte was the chief architect of the bloody drug war waged during his tenure as the country’s Chief Executive and as mayor of Davao City.
READ: Gov’t ‘obliged to follow’ Interpol on Rodrigo Duterte arrest
According to official government data, at least 6,000 people were killed under his presidency’s drug war.
However, human rights watchdogs and the International Criminal Court estimate the death toll to be between 12,000 and 30,000 from 2016 to 2019 alone, noting that many of these deaths were extrajudicial killings.