MANILA, March 13 -- The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Thursday said its personnel merely "provided security" to the implementers of the arrest warrant issued against former president Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday morning.

PNP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo said the PNP just extended police assistance following a request from the Philippine Center for Transnational Crime (PCTC).

Fajardo said PNP chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil had directed Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) Dir. Brig. Nicolas Torre III to take the lead in providing security assistance to the implementers of the arrest order against Duterte.

"Ang PNP po ay limited lamang po sa pagpu-provide po ng security doon po sa mga mag-i-implement po noong...