Duterte did not seek asylum to China – VP

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and People’s Republic of China President Xi Jinping pose for posterity prior to the start of the bilateral meeting at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing on August 29, 2019. ROBINSON NINAL/ PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Former President Rodrigo Duterte did not seek asylum in China, his daughter Vice President Sara Duterte said on Tuesday.

The Vice President went to Villamor Air Base in Pasay City but was barred from entering to visit her father who was detained inside.

READ: Colmenares: Duterte can seek asylum in China as ICC arrest warrant looms

“Wala. I was there in Hong Kong. Wala siyang kausap from the Chinese government, Duterte said in an ambush interview in Philippine Air Force (PAF) headquarters when asked if the former chief executive sought asylum in China.

Duterte visited Hong Kong, a special administrative region of China, over the weekend to grace an event of the PDP-Laban.

Former President Duterte was earlier arrested at the Ninoy Aquino Terminal 3 when he returned from Hong Kong.

He was then transferred to PAF headquarters before boarding a chartered plane.

Duterte is now en route to the Hague via a chartered flight.

READ: Duterte boards chartered flight to The Hague

The former president is also the subject of an arrest warrant before the International Criminal Court (ICC) over crimes against humanity.

Duterte was regarded as the chief architect of the bloody drug war waged during his time as the country’s chief executive and as mayor of Davao City.

The drug under his presidency claimed at least 6,000 lives during his term as president, according to official government data. But human rights watchdogs and the ICC itself estimated the death toll under Duterte’s drug war to be between 12,000 and 30,000 from 2016 to 2019 alone, as they noted that several of these are extrajudicial killings.