The Philippine presidential office has reported the arrest of the country’s former leader Rodrigo Duterte after receiving a request from the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Duterte was arrested at Manila airport on Tuesday after arriving from Hong Kong, according to the Philippine government, which received the ICC request through the international police agency Interpol.

“Upon his arrival, the Attorney General served the former president with an ICC notice for an arrest warrant for crimes against humanity,” the government said in a statement.

“He is now in the custody of the authorities,” it said.

The “crimes against humanity” charges are linked to Duterte’s brutal anti-drug campaign. According to the arrest warrants, Duterte’s so-called “war on drugs” during his 2016-2022 term deprived suspects of “due process of law,” resulting in the deaths of thousands, including children.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) issued a statement describing Duterte’s arrest as “a crucial step towards accountability in the Philippines.”

“His arrest could bring victims and their families closer to justice and sends a clear message that no one is above the law. The Marcos government should quickly hand him over to the ICC,” said Bryony Law, HRW’s deputy Asia director.

Defending his actions amid reports that he could be arrested, Duterte had previously said that he “did everything… for the Filipino people.”

“If that is my fate in life, then that is right, and I accept it. I can’t do anything about it. If I get arrested, if I get jailed, so be it.”

During Duterte’s six-year presidency, more than 7,000 people have been killed in official anti-drug operations, according to police records.

However, human rights advocates say the number of killings is more than 30,000, including some by unidentified suspects who later became police officers.