Davao City 1st District Representative Paolo “Pulong” Duterte denounced the International Criminal Court (ICC) for denying the request for interim release of his father, former President Rodrigo Duterte.
On Friday, October 10, the ICC rejected the plea from Duterte’s legal team, ruling that there were no valid humanitarian grounds for his release.
“The Chamber, therefore, considers that the defence’s argument that Mr. Duterte should be released for humanitarian reasons must be rejected,” the ICC stated.
In a Facebook post, the younger Duterte called the ICC’s decision a “gross and disgraceful miscarriage of justice.”
“This decision is a gross and disgraceful miscarriage of justice. It is not law — it is a political theater,” Pulong wrote.
He further defended his father, saying the 80-year-old former president has long been a victim of political persecution since leaving office.
“My father, an 80-year-old man, who is no longer in power has been in fact a subject of political persecution in his own country since he stepped down… he is definitely not a flight risk, he does not need it, he is much loved in his own country that he would have wanted nothing more but to stay there for as long as his creator permit him,” he said.
In a follow-up statement, the congressman issued a strong message to those he accused of being behind what he described as his father’s “kidnapping.”
“To all kidnappers of my father I will make sure that you will pay for this crime that you have committed. To the CIA who connived in this criminal act, my father’s kidnapping will not silence him. As a matter of fact, you might just have helped in making him a martyr. The anger of his people on his baseless imprisonment might just worsen just as their love for him will grow bigger,” Duterte wrote.
He added that their camp would continue to appeal the ICC decision, vowing to fight “by the book.”
“We’ll appeal. We’ll fight this by the book. And by the grace of the Almighty, my father will go home to his beloved Philippines,” he said.
The lawmaker also expressed gratitude to Filipinos who continue to show support for their family amid the ongoing legal battle.