Former Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte arrived at a Senate probe on his drug war, which is the subject of an ongoing International Criminal Court investigation.

The former leader was summoned by the Committee on Accountability of Public Officers and Investigations for a hearing in Manila on October 28 for an inquiry on the controversial policy that killed an estimated 30,000 individuals, including innocent people.

Footage shows the former leader being guided as he entered the hall. He was accompanied by a team of guards, lawyers, and his former cabinet members.

Duterte took an oath in court before the session started, presided by Senator Aquilino Pimentel.

Duterte's opening statement said: 'Do not question my policies because I offer no apologies, no excuses. I did what I had to do, and whether you believe it or not, I did it for my country.'

Duterte's drug war was a controversial anti-narcotics campaign he launched during his presidency from 2016 to 2022. It was dubbed 'Oplan Tokhang,' a combination of two words meaning 'knock' and 'plead' as cops visited homes of suspected drug users and asked them to surrender.

However, the operations often escalated, with thousands of alleged drug users and dealers killed, including unintended deaths or injuries. Family members, children, or bystanders, among others, were reportedly implicated during ongoing operations.

In 2017, a 17-year-old pupil, Kian delos Santos, was killed during a police operation with cops claiming he was involved in drugs. However, CCTV footage showed he was dragged into an alley and shot by officers.

In 2019, toddler Myca Opina was killed during an operation that targeted his father, intensifying debates and outbursts on the allegedly inhumane policy.

The International Criminal Court, an independent tribunal in Hague, the Netherlands, launched a preliminary investigation in 2018 on Duterte's drug war due to alleged human rights abuses.

However, in response, Duterte announced the Philippines' withdrawal from the ICC in 2018, with its official membership ending in 2018. Despite that, the ICC maintains it still has jurisdiction over the alleged crimes that happened between 2016 and 2019 during Duterte's term.