Philippines President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. has spoken about his predecessor Rodrigo Duterte’s arrest based on an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant for crimes against humanity, saying that it is what the international community expects a democratic country to do, according to various media reports.
Despite many in the Southeast Asian nation agreeing to the move, many Filipinos – including those who are working or living overseas – have also expressed their disappointments and angers over what they see as the country’s betrayal to a citizen, with many throwing their support online.
“I did not vote for this man, but to surrender him to foreign powers is truly unacceptable,” a netizen called Jovey Miramar said on her Facebook post.
Duterte (pictured) was arrested by the Philippine National Police and Interpol Manila upon arriving in the Philippine capital after he attended a political rally in Hong Kong, according to some Philippine media reports. He was then flown to The Hague, Netherlands just hours after he was served with the ICC warrant.
Marcos said that surrendering Duterte – who will turn 80 on 28 March – to ICC to face the cases against him over the latter’s “war on drugs” during the former president’s time in office was in accordance with the agreement between the Philippines and Interpol.
Reportedly, thousands of drug dealers, users and other suspects were killed in anti-drugs crackdown during the time Duterte was president from 2016 to 2022, as well as when he was mayor of Davao before that, various media organisations have reported.
“If I committed a sin, prosecute me in Philippine courts, with Filipino judges, and I will allow myself to be jailed in my own nation,” Duterte said in a video posted online, as reported by BBC.
Meanwhile, lawyer and The Hague Academy of International Law alumnus Dino Singson de Leon has pointed out the irony of the former president’s supporters calling for due process despite what he said the lack of it for the “war on drugs” victims, ONE News reported.
Lawyer and Duterte’s former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque reportedly called for “people power”, urging fellow supporters to gather at EDSA to protest against the former president’s arrest, which he said violates the country’s sovereignty and constitutional provisions on judicial power, while Philippine Senate President Francis Escudero has called for restraint and respect from all sides following Duterte’s arrest.
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