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04/01/25 - A rally and road-waving event last Friday at the Civic Center grounds on Saipan appealed to the International Criminal Court in The Hague for the safe return of former Philippine president Rodrigo R. Duterte to the Philippines.
Organizers Marie Zayko and Roderick Lopez were behind the “I stand with Duterte. I am not a Filipino for nothing. Bring FPRRD home” event and said over 250 supporters of the former president attended the rally and road-waving, which also doubled as a celebration of the 17th Philippine president’s birthday.
“This is in support for Duterte who right now is in the Netherlands because of Bong Bong Marcos (Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.). This one started only three weeks ago when I called him (Lopez) and I said, ‘why don't we organize even only in your house?’ because it's like Saipan is very quiet and we don't know who are Digong supporters here. And then he said, ‘sure Ninang, we'll do it.’ So. after that, you spoke to your wife, right? He spoke to his wife and then his wife told a friend and the friend told a friend and the rest is just history,” said Zayco.
Lopez thanked everyone who attended the rally and road-waving and also promised this certainly won’t be the last.
“To our friends here supporting President Duterte, we just keep praying so that we can bring him home to the Philippines and to the [Marcos] administration, please do the right thing for the people of the Philippines. “
Zayco also doubled down on her request to bring Duterte home and also appealed to the ICC in The Hague to release him.
“I hope Bong Bong Marcos and the [Philippine] government will realize what they did to Duterte because it's really terrible, really terrible. [My] message to ICC, Duterte is a good president. Please, he helped a lot of people. So much people that he helped, please release him,” she said.
Lopez said ICC is actually breaking the law in arresting Duterte.
“I think it's illegal detention because the Philippines is not under ICC already since 2019.”
Last March 11 Duterte was arrested by the Philippine National Police and Interpol in Operation Pursuit under an ICC warrant charging him with crimes against humanity related to the Philippine drug war.
Duterte supporters Joven Merin and Jerry Soriano said Duterte means so much to the Filipino people.
“I want to thank to President Rodrigo Duterte because I supported him when [I was a] former volunteer in the Tukhang. Tukang means someone who surrendered, you need to deliver the word of God so that the addict becomes a good guy. That's the one that President Duterte told us to do in Las Pinas,” he said.
Soriano, meanwhile, appealed to ICC to “bring back Tatay Digong from Philippines, that's all!”
“Even me, happy birthday Tatay Digong and I pray that [the] ICC judge [sets] free Tatay Digong [so he can] go back to the Philippines,” added Merin.
The rally and road-waving started around 5pm with Duterte supporters slowly trickling in wearing white and green T-shirts specially made for the occasion.
With “Ibalik Sa Pilipinas Si Duterte-Our Battle Cry Song To Bring Back FPRRD Home” by Machine SoundWaves blaring from a portable speaker, the Duterte supporters started with a road waving where they fluttered the Philippine flag and greeted motorists who honked back in support.
Last March 23, Joel Subang Sr. organized a smaller gathering at the Garapan Fishing Base also calling for Duterte’s return to the Philippines.
“I’m praying that Tatay Digong will be returned to the Philippines on his birthday. He wasn’t given the right to an attorney and wasn’t respected as a former president. His arrest was very hurried and our justice system was bypassed,” he said.
Romeo Malasarte, another Duterte supporter, said Duterte’s arrest and subsequent detention by the ICC isn’t just a political issue.
“The arrest of a former President based on an ICC warrant—carried out by our own police—is a blatant disregard for our national sovereignty. You may not agree with everything Duterte did, but if a Filipino leader can be handed over to a foreign court just like that, who’s next? This is no longer about being pro or anti-Duterte—this is about standing up for the dignity of every Filipino,” he said.
Duterte critics on Saipan, however, said the ICC had every right to arrest Duterte due to the crimes against humanity he committed against the Filipino people. Allegations stem from his time as Davao City mayor where extrajudicial killings were rampant and the brutal nationwide “war on drugs” he’s suspected of flaming after he became president in 2016.
“Everything’s is legal. Those who will oppose will say it’s illegal. His supporters are now asking for due process, something victims of his ‘war on drugs’ weren’t give. They were just killed on the spot. We need justice for all the victims of extrajudicial killings during Duterte’s time in office,” said Joselito Espino.
And his message to Duterte’s supporters—wake up and stop idolizing the former president.
Darwin Gonzales, meanwhile, said Duterte’s arrest was a long time coming and due process was observed as ICC had all the time needed based on the intelligence of all government agencies involved.
“ICC through the Interpol did it in a most lawful process as possible given that the Philippines is no longer a member of the ICC. They just did the right thing. They’re not ICC if they themselves will be partisan on the issue with PRRD (Duterte). BBM (Marcos) did the right thing to allow the process of justice take its course through ICC. His government studied and planned it so well with all our laws available backing it up. States like the Philippines, which is a member of the international community, just did its part and obliged to do it for the sake of smooth relationship with the international community.”
At the end of the day, Gonzales said at least Duterte will be given the right to defend himself in a court of law.
“Either guilty or not guilty as long as the right process will be implemented, I’m okay with it. I’m all for justice and justice can be obtained if we will listen to the both sides and let ICC handle its business in deciding PRRD’s fate.”
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Story by Mark Rabago
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