Manila [Philippines], March 14: Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has taken full responsibility for his deadly so-called "war on drugs", in a video message posted on Facebook, following his arrest on a warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC).
The video, which has been viewed millions of times, shows only Duterte speaking and appears to have been recorded inside the plane which transported him to the Netherlands on Wednesday and the ICC in The Hague.
"I am the one who led our law enforcement and military. I said that I will protect you and I will be responsible for all of this," Duterte said in the video posted to his and a close adviser's Facebook pages.
"I have been telling the police, the military, that it was my job and I am responsible," said the 79-year-old, who has become the first Asian former head of state scheduled to appear before the ICC.
"This will be a long legal proceeding. But I say to you, I will continue to serve my country. And so be it, if that is my destiny," he said. "I am OK, do not worry," he told his supporters in the more than two-minute clip. Duterte was taken into custody by the ICC following his arrest in Manila on Tuesday.
President of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022, Duterte faces allegations of crimes against humanity for overseeing a brutal antidrug crackdown which killed more than 6,000 people during his six years in office. Some human rights groups believe the actual number of deaths could be in the tens of thousands. (Agencies)
Source: Qatar Tribune
