Pulong Duterte celebrates independence but dad's detention leaves pain

MANILA, Philippines — Davao City 1st District Rep. Paolo “Pulong” Duterte has lamented that while he joins the country in celebrating Independence Day, it stings that his father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, is still detained at a foreign land.

In a statement early Thursday morning, the younger Duterte urged Filipinos to remember the struggles of the country’s heroes, as the 127th anniversary of the independence declaration is celebrated.

Duterte said this should also be a reminder to the people to take care of the principles fought for by their forebears.  However, the lawmaker noted that his father remains detained under the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Hague, the Netherlands, without being afforded due process.

“Despite these celebrations, it pains us to remember the sacrifices of our heroes while my father, former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, continues to be held at the Hague ICC detention cell — an arrest that did not go through the correct processes, without respect for our courts, and the destruction of our sovereignty as a free country,” the lawmaker said mostly in Filipino.

“In simpler words, he was kidnapped by an administration that does not acknowledge due process and does not respect our justice system,” he added in Filipino.  “It is a painful reminder that despite these modern times, the fight for justice rages.”

According to Duterte, they will continue to pursue freedom, calling on Filipinos to join their fight for a future that justifies the sacrifices of heroes and his father.

“But we will continue.  Freedom is a gift that we should give importance to — it is what gives us strength and hope to aspire and work hard for our families, communities, and the country,” he said.

“As your representative in Congress, I promise to continue my advocacy for justice, peace, and true progress.  Let us be united in this goal.  Let us continue the fight for a future that is rightful for the sacrifices of our heroes — and of my father,” he added.

Last March 11, after coming home from Hong Kong, ex-president Duterte was stopped from leaving the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 as local authorities assisted the International Criminal Police Organization in enforcing the ICC’s arrest order.

The warrant was issued due to the crimes against humanity raps filed against the former leader, for his role in his administration’s drug war.

READ: Plane carrying Rodrigo Duterte leaves PH for The Hague 

While the older Duterte was praised for addressing the country’s drug problem, there were concerns from human rights advocates early on that rights were disregarded in the implementation of the drug war.

After his administration, different bodies — including the House of Representatives that Rep. Duterte belongs to — have initiated different investigations of the drug war, particularly allegations of extrajudicial killings (EJKs) in the conduct of the police operations, like Oplan Tokhang.

Oplan Tokhang — a portmanteau of Visayan words ‘toktok’ or to knock, and ‘hangyo’ or to plead — was a project of Duterte’s close ally and first Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, Senator Ronald dela Rosa.

Despite Tokhang being just about knocking on doors, there were incidents where innocent individuals were killed during drug busts.  In August 2017, 17-year-old Kian delos Santos was killed despite not being the original target of the anti-drug operation in Caloocan City.  He was shot point-blank, even if camera footage showed him pleading for his life.

Two days before delos Santos was killed, Arnaiz and de Guzman’s bodies were found in different areas – Arnaiz at a funeral in Caloocan City and de Guzman in a creek in Nueva Ecija.  Such incidents became the basis for personalities who sued Duterte for alleged crimes against humanity charges before the ICC.

In June 2024, human rights lawyer Chel Diokno revealed that the Office of the President (OP) under former president Duterte listed 20,322 drug war-related deaths among its accomplishments in a 2017 report.

READ: Diokno: Duterte’s OP listed 20,322 drug-war deaths as accomplishments 

Diokno explained that the 20,322 drug-war-related deaths from July 1, 2016, to November 27, 2017, were mentioned in a Supreme Court en banc resolution as part of the OP year-end report. /jpv

(2025/06/12-10:33)