The lawyers of detained drugs madman Rodrigo Duterte battled to see their client being held at a heavily guarded air force base in the Philippines.

Footage shows Attorneys Israelito Torreon and Vic Rodriguez requesting permission from police to see the former Philippine president, 79, detained at the Villamor Air Base in Metro Manila, on March 11.

Israelito told the cops: 'I am invoking my right under Republic Act 7483 as legal counsel. I have the right to be with my client.'

He was mistakenly referring to Republic Act 7438 of the Philippines protecting the rights of arrested individuals.

The legal counsel said they needed to have documents signed by Duterte. They later sought a 'petition for certiorari with request for a temporary restraining order' at the Supreme Court.

Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was today arrested at an airport for alleged crimes against humanity.

The foul-mouthed populist, known for his bloody war on drugs, was detained upon arriving at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Metro Manila, at around 9:20 am today.

He had returned to the country on Cathay Pacific flight CX907 after meeting with overseas Filipino workers in Hong Kong a day earlier. Upon being arrested, he had refused to deboard the plane, telling officials: 'You will just have to kill me. I refuse if you will just ally with the whites.'

Major General Nicholas Torre III, chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, confirmed Duterte was arrested on a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged crimes against humanity.

In 2018, Duterte withdrew the Philippines from the International Criminal Court (ICC) after it began investigating alleged human rights abuses linked to his war on drugs. He had argued that the ICC had no jurisdiction over the Philippines and accused it of being biased.

Police claimed around 6,000 drug suspects were killed during the former president's signature anti-drug crackdown, though human rights groups said the number could reach up to 30,000.