An unannounced trip by former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte to Hong Kong has set off speculations that he may be trying to evade a possible arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court over his bloody crackdown on drugs.

Duterte, 79, appeared at the hearing via videolink, with presiding judge Iulia Motoc citing his prior “long journey."

The 79-year-old Duterte will be read his rights and formally informed of the charges of crimes against humanity that the court’s prosecutors filed against him after a lengthy investigation.