Philippine ex-President Duterte brushes off possible arrest by ICC on a trip to Hong Kong

HONG KONG (AP) - An unannounced trip by former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte to Hong Kong set off speculations on Sunday that he may be trying to evade a possible arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court over his bloody crackdown on drugs while in power.

Duterte and his daughter and incumbent vice president were the main speakers in a campaign rally at the Southorn Stadium in the busy Wan Chai commercial district for the senatorial candidates of his political party ahead of the May 12 midterm elections in the Philippines. Thousands of cheering and flag-waving Filipino expatriates packed the stadium to watch Duterte speak.

In his expletives-laden speech, Duterte touched on news reports about the ICC possibly issuing a warrant for his arrest and repeated that he was ready to be jailed.

“What was my sin?" Duterte asked. "I did everything in my time so Filipinos can have a little peace and tranquility."

"If this is my fate in life, it's OK, I'll accept it. I can't do anything if I get arrested and jailed," said the former populist president, now 79 and frail of health.

He told the crowd in jest to make small contributions for the construction of his monument, which he said should show him holding a gun.

The ICC has been investigating the large number of killings by police and gunmen under the former president's crackdown against illegal drugs, which left thousands of mostly poor suspects dead.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has said that Philippine law enforcement agencies would be bound to fully cooperate if the ICC seeks the custody of his predecessor.

Duterte has denied he authorized extrajudicial killings but he has openly and repeatedly threatened t o kill suspected drug dealers while in office 2016-2022.