By Robina Asido

The Palace announced on Tuesday the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte based on the warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged crimes against humanity committed during his administration's war on drugs.

In a statement, the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said the "ICC notification for an arrest warrant" against Duterte was served upon his arrival at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in Pasay City around 9:20 am.

"Former President Rodrigo Duterte and his group arrived in Manila from Hong Kong aboard Cathay Pacific CX 907. Upon his arrival, the Prosecutor General served an ICC notification for an arrest warrant against the former president for crimes against humanity," it said in Pilipino.

The ICC issued the warrant of his arrest for his alleged criminal responsibility "for the crime against humanity" committed during the war on drugs under his administration.

On Tuesday afternoon, lawyers of the former president, represented by Israelito Torreon filed a petition for certiorari and prohibition before the Supreme Court for the issuance of a temporary restraining order (TRO) for the government to stop cooperating with the ICC since the Philippines is not a member of the ICC

But ABS-CBN said, posting a video from a retired general, that Duterte was being brought to a Lear Jet with some persons to an unknown destination before 9 pm.. A video from his daughter, Veronica, showed that police were trying to bring the former president to ride a plane.

Veronica said in her Instagram account ''they took my dad from us, put him on a plane wouldn't say where to.''

The PCO said the Philippine National Police (PNP) officers who executed the warrant were wearing body cameras.

"The former president and his group are in good health and have been examined by government doctors. They have assured him that he is in good condition," it added.

In a statement, the PNP confirmed the deployment of 379 personnel at NAIA and other key locations "to ensure a peaceful and orderly process" of arresting Duterte.

The PCO said "Interpol Manila received the official copy of the arrest warrant from the ICC" against Duterte early Tuesday.

In a video posted on his Facebook account, Senator Bong Go said he and the lawyers and personal doctor of Duterte were not allowed to get near him when he arrived at the NAIA Terminal 3.

"We are here to assure that the former President is in good health, actually he has a scheduled medical check up tomorrow, he has to undergo a medical procedure at the Cardinal (Santos Medical Center)," he said.

Duterte who was brought to Villamor Airbase upon his arrival was accompanied by some members of his family and former Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea.

In an Instagram post of his daughter who arrived in the country with him from Hong Kong, Veronica Duterte said they "are being illegally detained at the 250th Presidential Airlift Wing Col. Jesus Villamor Air Base Pasay City".

"They aren't allowing my dad to seek the medical attention he badly needs," she said.

She also posted a photo of a medical prescription of Duterte's physician Rosa Allyn Sy, who advised him to get admitted to avoid possible complications from high blood sugar as his glucose level shot up to 328.

She also posted a video of the former president asking what law and what crime he was arrested for.

"Tell me now the legal basis for my being here as apparently, I was brought here not of my own volition. It's somebody else's, what is the law and what is the crime that I committed....," said Duterte.

The Miranda rights was read by Criminal Investigation and Detection Group Chief Maj. Gen. Nicolas Torre III to Duterte when he was taken into custody at Villamor Airbase.

According to Col. Ma. Consuelo Castillo, Philippine Air Force public affairs office chief, "it is normal for PAF's secured base facilities to be used as arrival or departure points for air movements of certain important personalities."

"For operational security, we however defer to the concerned government agency responsible for this activity to confirm and give specific details," she said. DMS