MANILA, March 13 (Xinhua) -- Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who has been in the Netherlands, said on Thursday that he will take responsibility for everything during his presidency.
In a video posted on the Rody Duterte Facebook page, the former president said he expected a long legal proceeding, and that he will continue to serve his country.
"To my countrymen, just to give you the current situation, I am about to land in The Hague after a stopover in Dubai. It's a long-haul flight. I'm ok. Do not worry," Duterte said in the video.
"And I think this has something to do with the law and order back then, and I told the police and military to just do their job and I will take responsibility. So here it is," he said.
"For all of the whatever happened in the past, I am the one who stood in front of our law enforcers and the military. I told them that I will protect you...I will take responsibility for everything," the former president said.
"This will be a long legal proceeding but I say to you I will continue to serve my country. So be it if that is my destiny," Duterte continued.
The video, taken inside the chartered plane carrying Duterte to The Hague, was posted before his plane landed at Rotterdam The Hague Airport in the Netherlands.
Duterte, who is turning 80 on March 28, was detained on Tuesday morning upon his return to Manila from abroad, following an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) over his "war on drugs" campaign, a move he has questioned.
He left Manila for The Hague, home to the ICC, on Tuesday night. ■
