Forget people power; study ICC case instead – Palace to Duterte backers

MANILA, Philippines — Instead of pushing for people power, the Palace urged supporters of former President Rodrigo Duterte to think and understand what really is going on with his case at the International Criminal Court (ICC).



At a Palace briefing on Wednesday, Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro was asked for a comment on Duterte supporters’ supposed plan to gather and protest the arrest of the ex-president.

“The people today, our fellow countrymen, should think and understand what is happening. This case at the ICC was not fabricated by the government. This was done during the time of former President Duterte,” Castro said in Filipino.

READ: Rodrigo Duterte at The Hague

She even described the plan as an act that would seem to push for the downfall of the government.

“Isn't this calling for the downfall of the government? First, there is a warrant of arrest. Second, a case has been filed. And third, there are alleged victims who will testify,” Castro said, pointing out that the arrest of Duterte was not illegal at all.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. already reacted to these calls during his address on Tuesday evening, saying, “The government is just doing its job. It’s not because it’s one person or another that we do the things that we do.”



READ: Marcos: Arrest of Duterte not ‘political persecution’

Marcos also confirmed that Duterte was en route to The Hague in the Netherlands to face his crimes against humanity case before the ICC arising from his bloody drug war.

“The plane carrying former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte took off at 11:03 p.m. this evening and exited Philippine airspace,” Marcos said.

The drug war claimed at least 6,000 lives, according to official government data.

However, human rights watchdogs estimated the death toll from the drug war to be between 12,000 and 30,000 from 2016 to 2019. They said several of the cases were extrajudicial killings.

(2025/03/12-13:53)