Former President Rodrigo Duterte’s initial appearance took place on March 14, 2025, at 14:00 hours (The Hague local time), before Pre-Trial Chamber I of the International Criminal Court. (©ICC-CPI)
MANILA, Philippines – Former President Rodrigo Duterte is now a “private person” and must be released from the custody of the International Criminal Court (ICC), SAGIP party-list Rep. Rodante Marcoleta said on Wednesday.
His statement was in reference to the justification of the ICC prosecutor for Duterte’s arrest, which said: “The Chamber observes that Mr. Duterte, even though no longer the President of the Philippines, appears to continue to wield considerable power.”
“Yung pagiging popular ba niya, ibig sabihin ay he still wields power in this country?” Marcoleta said in a press conference at the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman in Quezon City on Wednesday.
(Does his popularity mean he still wields power in this country?)
“Maaari siyang popular, pero hindi na siya presidente. Private na tao na lamang siya. Yun namang ICC, nakinig kaagad na popular. Talagang popular, wala tayong magagawa doon. Yung kondisyon ba na dahil popular siya, kailangan siyang arestuhin?” the congressman added.
(He may be popular, but he’s no longer the president. He’s just a private person now. The ICC immediately jumped on him being popular. He’s really popular, we can’t help that. Just because e condition that because he’s popular, he had to be arrested?)
READ: Groups to make formal request to ICC for Duterte repatriation
Marcoleta is running for a Senate seat in this coming May elections under the slate of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino (PDP), the political party Duterte chairs.
In the same press conference, Marcoleta and fellow senatorial candidate Gringo Honasan announced a petition to be formally submitted to the ICC urging the tribunal to address the validity of Duterte’s arrest and the “urgent need” to release and return him to the Philippines.