Filipino Catholic bishops called for unity, but differed in tone, after former president Rodrigo Duterte was arrested and detained at the International Criminal Court (ICC).
The 79-year-old Duterte was accused of crimes against humanity over his war on drugs. The drug war killings, which human rights groups pegged at 30,000, won him local supporters but angered members of the Catholic hierarchy during his six years in office.
In the days after his arrest, the varying approaches by prelates highlight the sensitivity of the issue in the Philippines. Nearly four out of five Filipinos belong to the Catholic Church, but Duterte – who once cursed at Pope Francis and called God stupid – has kept his popularity.
