Former Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte said "you have to kill me to bring me to The Hague", threatened a police general with lawsuits and refused to be fingerprinted during his chaotic arrest this week, according to police.
Mr Duterte is in the custody of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Netherlands after being arrested in Manila on Tuesday on crimes against humanity charges linked to his deadly "war on drugs".
Prosecutors at the world's permanent war crimes court accuse the 79-year-old of forming and arming death squads held responsible for the killing of thousands of drug users and dealers during his time in power.
Police Major General Nicolas Torre revealed details of a 12-hour stand-off when the ex-leader was arrested.
He was taken into custody after he arrived at Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport with his common-law wife, daughter and friends from Hong Kong.
Major General Torre said Mr Duterte was then taken under heavy police guard to a nearby presidential lounge at the Villamor Air Base to undergo booking, including fingerprinting, before being taken to a flight to The Hague.
But Mr Duterte, his family, lawyers and friends resisted and prevented the former leader from being brought to the government-chartered plane for 12 hours.
'Very tense' 12-hour stand-off
Major General Torre said the ex-president, who used to be a government prosecutor and congressman, refused to undergo the police booking procedure after his arrest.
"It was very tense," he said.
"One of my officers sustained a head injury after being hit hard with a cellphone [by Duterte’s common-law wife] and his daughter was cursing me with expletives, but I kept my cool.
"We wanted to have him fingerprinted, but he resisted."
The former president’s executive secretary was also arrested and handcuffed for blocking Mr Duterte’s transfer to the plane, Major General Torre said.
He said Mr Duterte told police: "You have to kill me to bring me to The Hague."
Legal team challenges the arrest
Mr Duterte’s lawyers said Philippine authorities did not show any copy of the ICC warrant and violated his constitutional rights.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr’s administration allowed the global court to take custody of Mr Duterte, although the Philippines was no longer a party to the ICC, the legal team said.
"Our own government has surrendered a Filipino citizen — even a former president at that — to foreign powers," Vice-President Sara Duterte, the ex-president’s daughter, said on Tuesday.
"This is a blatant affront to our sovereignty and an insult to every Filipino who believes in our nation’s independence.
"This is not justice — this is oppression and persecution."
Mr Marcos appeared on nationwide television around midnight shortly after Mr Duterte was flown out and denied the allegations of the vice-president, who has had a bitter falling out with him after their whirlwind political alliance as running mates in the 2022 elections crumbled.
Duterte foresaw ICC warrant
Mr Duterte could become Asia's first former head of state to go on trial at the ICC. He is awaiting an initial court appearance in custody.
Mr Duterte had said on Monday in Hong Kong that he was ready to be arrested if the ICC issued a warrant and has repeatedly defended the anti-drugs crackdown.
He has repeatedly told his supporters he was ready to "rot in jail" if it meant ridding the Philippines of illicit drugs.
Mr Duterte has denied ordering police to kill drug suspects unless in self-defence.
He carved a political name decades ago with his approach to criminality and regular profanities, which became a trademark of his political persona especially when threatening to kill drugs dealers as part of his war on illegal drugs.
While president, Mr Duterte got incensed when Barack Obama criticised his campaign against illegal drugs and told him in one speech to "go to hell".
In 2015, he shocked the dominant Roman Catholic Church when he called Pope Francis a "son of a b****" while expressing his disgust over a monstrous traffic jam that trapped him while the Pope was visiting Manila.
He later apologised after Filipino bishops expressed shock and outrage.
International reactions
For the victims of Mr Duterte's "war on drugs", his arrival in The Hague feels like an answer to their prayers, said Gilbert Andres, a lawyer who represents families of victims of drug-related killings.
"They did not really expect that justice can still be served to a powerful man such as Rodrigo Duterte," he said.
The war on drugs was the signature campaign platform that swept Mr Duterte to power in 2016.
During his six years in office, more than 6,000 suspects were killed during anti-drug operations, according to the police.
Activists say the real toll was far greater.
Police investigations in the Philippines have moved at a snail's pace, by the administration's own admission, and neither Mr Duterte nor any of his top police commanders have been charged with crimes locally.
ABC/wires
