Ched Rick Gatchalian

Article (news)

Duterte lectures cops: I'm a Filipino, prosecute me in the Philippine courts

ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA — Former President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday told police officers about the supposed &quot;serious implications&quot; of his arrest, as he reiterated that the Philippines is no longer a member of the International Criminal Court (ICC). </p><p>During the Instagram live video of his daughter Veronica &quot;Kitty&quot; Duterte, the Davaoeño leader told police he would not escape from the law but also offered a &quot;lecture&quot; on what he claimed as the possible impact of his arrest.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/3/11/rodrigo-duterte-and-icc-from-years-long-probe-to-unexpected-arrest-1927">Rodrigo Duterte and ICC: From years-long probe to &#x27;unexpected&#x27; arrest</a></div><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/war-on-drugs" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">War on Drugs, The Unheard Voices | ABS-CBN News</a></div><p>&quot;Sasama ako sa inyo, tutal nandito naman tayo sa government facility. So escape is not a problem. Impossible. If I have the chance anymore to lecture you [of] the serious implications — you&#x27;d allow me to be brought to a body whom which we are no longer a member,&quot; Duterte said, recalling Manila&#x27;s withdrawal from the Rome Statue in 2018.</p><p>&quot;Nabasa mo naman siguro, nag-withdraw na tayo. Bakit mo ako dadalhin doon sa international body na hindi tayo myembro? Kung balang araw, by chance, kung isa sa inyo magkaroon ng kaso, udyukin ko &#x27;yung mga... Pulitika ito. I&#x27;m giving you a lecture na ponder on it seriously,&quot; he added.</p><p> Duterte was arrested by police officers on Tuesday acting on a warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC) over his war on drugs, shortly after he arrived in the Philippines from Hong Kong. </p><p>Duterte, 79, faces a charge of &quot;the crime against humanity of murder&quot;, according to the ICC, for the crackdown in which rights groups estimate tens of thousands of mostly poor men were killed by officers and vigilantes, often without proof they were linked to drugs.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/3/11/duterte-arrest-garners-international-attention-1627">Duterte arrest garners international attention</a></div><p>Police were heard telling Duterte that he can bring along three companions during his travel to a yet-to-be-disclosed location.</p><p>The former Philippine leader said he is unfazed of the warrant and is ready to face trial.</p><p>&quot;If I&#x27;m detained there, you&#x27;re starting a machinery of &#x27;justice roll&#x27;. Go to the Supreme Court, edi &#x27;pag hindi, dumaan na ako sa lahat, okay na sa &#x27;kin. Nothing to lose na ako, absolutely nothing,&quot; Duterte said.</p><p>But when cops told him they are bringing him to The Hague, Duterte refused, telling them the place is too far and asserted that he is a &quot;Filipino that deserves a local prosecution.&quot;</p><p>&quot;&#x27;Yan ang &#x27;di [ako] papayag. I am a Filipino, you are all Filipino citizens. Ako &#x27;pag nagkasala, you prosecute me in the Philippine courts with a Filipino judge, a Filipino prosecutor. And magpakulong ako dito sa bayan ko, kung sakali,&quot; he added.</p><p>Duterte claimed the Supreme Court will &quot;rebuke&quot; ICC&#x27;s actions.</p><p>Moments after the live video ended, his daughter Vice President Sara Duterte issued a statement, saying her father was supposedly being denied of fundamental rights.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/3/11/-blatant-affront-to-our-sovereignty-sara-duterte-decries-father-s-arrest-1935">Nation &#x27;Blatant affront to our sovereignty&#x27;: Sara Duterte decries father&#x27;s arrest</a></div><p>&quot;Today, our own government has surrendered a Filipino citizen — even a former President at that — to foreign powers. This is a blatant affront to our sovereignty and an insult to every Filipino who believes in our nation’s independence,&quot; she wrote.</p><p>&quot;This act shows the world that this government is willing to abandon its own citizen and betray the very essence of our sovereignty and national dignity. God save the Philippines,&quot; she added.</p><div><strong>RELATED VIDEOS:</strong></div><div><br/></div><div><strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GsrBNkKHqcU?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Y2L_YxryOu0?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><br/></div>

<p>Former President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday told police officers about the supposed "serious implications" of his arrest, as he reiterated that the Philippines is no longer a member of the International Criminal Court (ICC).</p>

Former President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday told police officers about the supposed "serious implications" of his arrest, as he reiterated that the Philippines is no longer a member of the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Duterte tells cops: 'I'm a Filipino, prosecute me in the Philippine courts'

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Duterte tells cops: 'I'm a Filipino, prosecute me in the Philippine courts'

Ched Rick Gatchalian,

ABS-CBN News

Published Mar 11, 2025 09:51 PM PHT

|

Updated Mar 12, 2025 09:38 AM PHT

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ANC Promo

Rodrigo Duterte

International Criminal Court

ICC

Drug war

Veronica Duterte

Sara Duterte

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