Manila, March 11 -- The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued the arrest warrant against former president Rodrigo Duterte to ensure his appearance before the tribunal in connection with its investigation of his bloody war on drugs.

In its arrest warrant issued on March 7, the ICC pre-trial chamber noted that Duterte, whose six-year term ended in 2022, "appears to continue to wield considerable power."

"After evaluating the information submitted by the Prosecution, the Chamber accepts that there is no reasonable expectation that he would cooperate with a summons to appear issued by the Court," the warrant read.

"Mindful of the resultant risk of interference with the investigations and the security of witnesses and victims, the C...