28/03/2025
First and foremost, I would like to express my gratitude to the esteemed Mayor Baste Duterte for welcoming me here in the city of Davao. I have come to deliver my message of concern to former President Rodrigo Duterte, whom I served as DICT Secretary. I owe a personal and significant debt of gratitude to the Duterte Family, who has been supportive of me since my senatorial run when he was the Mayor of Davao City. Mayor Duterte is a fellow member in the Guardians Brotherhood, and beyond politics, we have maintained a strong friendship over the years.
I am here not out of politics but as a Filipino who loves our country and believes in recognizing the sovereignty of our Republic and protecting every Filipino from the interference of foreigners. The arrest of President Duterte to be taken to another country and tried under foreign laws is a slap in the face and a betrayal of our nation's courts and laws. It is embarrassing for other countries and their citizens to know that we ourselves are turning our backs on our compatriot, our former President, and betraying him to the jurisdiction of the ICC, even though our courts are functioning and our laws are being upheld.
Do we admit that we are a 'failed state'? Do we truly believe that our judicial process is worthless and the laws of the Republic of the Philippines are ineffective?
Do we not fight vehemently for OFWs with cases or convictions in other countries to be brought back to the Philippines? Why then did we kidnap and transport President Duterte to be incarcerated and tried in a court that does not fall under our jurisdiction? The President is already in his eighties - even if this were the only consideration, let us not make things harder for him.
Many Filipinos, both here and abroad, are calling for the return of President Duterte to the Philippines. If there are charges to face, he should be tried in his own country. Many of us are eager to take action, to do what we can in the face of what we are dealing with.
At this point, we will submit a petition to the ICC to bring President Duterte back to his home country, the Philippines. This petition is in accordance with the rules and regulations of the ICC, allowing the people to participate directly in the ongoing proceedings. We aim to gather as many signatures as possible and extend invitations to other organizations to join us in our efforts to bring back Former President Rodrigo Duterte and uphold the sovereignty of our laws, courts, and the dignity of the Filipino nation.
