Manila, March 19 -- Human rights lawyer Dino de Leon on Tuesday described the arrest of former president Rodrigo Duterte by the International Criminal Court (ICC) as a "long overdue" step in holding him accountable for his war on illegal drugs.

In an interview at the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon program, De Leon, an alumnus of The Hague Academy of International Law and Georgetown University Law Center, said Duterte's arrest will give him a chance to defend himself.

"Para sa aming kampo, ito ay isang long overdue na paglilitis... at bibigyan pa rin siya ng pagkakataon na idepensa ang kanyang mga gawain (For us, this is a long-overdue trial... and he will still be given the opportunity to defend his actions)," De Leon said.

De Leon said the I...