Palace denies Baste Duterte’s claim of political persecution
Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte criticizes President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. over the “illegal” arrest of his father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, saying Marcos “will never be loved” by Duterte supporters. He said during his speech at the 99th Araw ng Dabaw celebration on Sunday, March 16, 2025. (Screenshot from Araw ng Dabaw Facebook live)
MANILA, Philippines — The Palace on Wednesday denied allegations of Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte that their family is being singled out by the Marcos administration following the arrest of his father and former President Rodrigo Duterte.
Mayor Duterte made the accusations in an interview with “Basta Dabawenyo” podcast on Tuesday.
“Mahirap talaga ang sitwasyon, mahirap ang ganitong sitwasyon na sini-single out ka ng isang presidente, diba..targeted kami,” he said in Cebuano.
(The situation is really difficult; it’s hard to be in this kind of situation where a president is singling you out, right? We are being targeted.)
However, in a briefing on Wednesday, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro clarified that the arrest warrant was solely for Duterte, which is why he was the only one who surrendered to the International Criminal Court (ICC).
READ: Baste: Search warrants issued vs Duterte family homes
“Let us remember that former President Duterte is being described as an indirect co-perpetrator. Does he want not only his father to be arrested but also those who are alleged accomplices?” Castro asked.
“The warrant of arrest is only for former President Duterte; the other co-perpetrators are not included yet. So, we cannot avoid the fact that only former President Duterte will be surrendered to the ICC,” she explained.
The former president was arrested at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport upon his arrival from Hong Kong on March 11 and was brought to the ICC headquarters in The Hague, Netherlands, on the same day.
He made his first appearance before the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I on March 14, where he was informed of his charges and rights under the ICC Rome Statute.
The Duterte administration’s 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.
READ: Mayor Duterte curses Marcos over father’s arrest, detention in ICC
During his speech at the Araw ng Dabaw celebration last Sunday, Mayor Duterte also cursed at President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., accusing him of having no sense of gratitude following the arrest of the elder Duterte.
“‘My father allowed your father to be buried, but you had my father jailed. You son of a b****!” he exclaimed.
It was Duterte who allowed the burial of the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos Sr. at the Libingan ng mga Bayani in Taguig City in 2016 despite public outrage, particularly from human rights advocates who fought the Marcos dictatorship.
Furthermore, Mayor Duterte told Marcos that he will “never be loved” by Duterte supporters.
His remarks were followed by Duterte supporters chanting, “Marcos resign.”
Mayor Duterte also claimed that his father’s arrest was a diversionary tactic so that the public would forget about the issues with the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation and the 2025 General Appropriations Act.
“Ang PhilHealth po ay madali nating mai-explain. Bago po nangyari po ito ay nakausap po natin, katulad ng ipinangako ko sa inyo bago po nangyari itong pag-aresto at pag-surrender kay dating Pangulong Duterte ay kakausapin mismo natin ang taga-PhilHealth. Mayroon na po kami; hindi lamang po namin ipinapalabas ngayon dahil nga po ang issue ngayon ay patungkol po dito sa ICC,”Castro said.
(We can easily explain the issue with PhilHealth. Before this happened, we had already spoken, as I promised you, that before the arrest and surrender of former President Duterte, we would personally talk to someone from PhilHealth. We already have that information, but we are not releasing it yet because the current issue is about the ICC.)
“So, walang diversionary tactic dito, diversionary issues na pag-uusapan, bakit? Nangyayari lamang po eh, ito po ay nangyayari, day-by-day may nangyayaring news. So, hindi po diversionary tactic ito,” she also said.
(So, there is no diversionary tactic here, no diversionary issues being discussed. Why? Because these events are simply happening—day by day, there is news. So, this is not a diversionary tactic.)
Castro further pointed out that there is nobody else to blame for Duterte’s arrest than his administration itself, as it allegedly failed to investigate the deaths related to the war on drugs.
“Walang jurisdiction after the withdrawal; we have to be clear on that, okay?” Castro said.
(There is no jurisdiction after the withdrawal; we have to be clear on that, okay?)
“Now, siguro po kung mayroon mang issue patungkol sa hindi pagsampa ng kaso dito sa bansa patungkol sa crimes against humanity, mas magandang tanungin natin iyong nakaraang administrasyon dahil noong November 2021 humiling ang gobyerno, ang administrasyon mismo ni dating Pangulong Duterte, at ito naman ay naka-record na ipahinto muna ang pag-iimbestiga ng ICC prosecutor at dahil magsasagawa sila ng pag-iimbestiga, magsasampa ng kaso na dapat isampa—that’s November 2021,” she continued.
(Now, perhaps if there are issues regarding the failure to file cases in the country related to crimes against humanity, it would be better to ask the previous administration. This is because, in November 2021, the government—specifically the administration of former President Duterte—formally requested the ICC prosecutor to suspend the investigation, as they claimed they would conduct their own investigation and file the necessary cases. That was in November 2021.)
Castro explained that in June 2022, before Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was sworn into office, the ICC prosecutor said that the Duterte administration did not fulfill its commitment to investigate and file necessary cases, thus the ICC prosecutor’s resumption of their probe.
“Kung mayroon po sigurong dapat sisihin kung bakit nagpatuloy ang ICC iyon na rin po ay ang dating administrasyon, dahil hindi sila agad kumilos patungkol dito sa mga kasong ito na nirireklamo patungkol sa madugong war on drugs,” she said.
(If there is anyone to blame for why the ICC investigation continued, it would be the previous administration, because it did not act immediately on these cases related to the bloody war on drugs.)
