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.

It was not immediately clear how long Duterte would stay in China-ruled Hong Kong - which is not a party to the ICC. Duterte was in the city to speak at a campaign rally attended

Members of the Philippine National Police met the former president as he arrived in Manila, the capital, on a flight from Hong Kong, the office said.