The Philippine government said on Wednesday it would not stand in the way if former President Rodrigo Duterte wants to surrender to the International Criminal Court (ICC), and would be obliged to comply if his arrest was sought over his war on drugs.

If the former President desires to surrender himself to the jurisdiction of the ICC, the government will neither object to it nor move to block the fulfillment of his desire,” Bersamin said in a statement to reporters.

The Philippine government says its law enforcement agencies will be obliged to cooperate if the International Criminal Court seeks the custody of former President Rodrigo Duterte as part of an investigation into thousands of deaths during his crackdown on illegal drugs.

The Philippine government will not stand in the way if former President Rodrigo Duterte decides to surrender himself to the International Criminal Court (ICC), the office of the current president said on Wednesday.