ILIGAN City ― Hundreds gathered near the post office, here, yesterday, March 11, to protest the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte at Villamor Air Base earlier that day.
The crowd, which assembled around 5 pm, lit candles and voiced their anger over the “unfair” nature of the arrest.
At least three former city officials — former councilor Emmanuel Salibay, former Mayor Franklin M. Quijano, and former Vice Mayor Jemar Vera Cruz — joined the demonstration.
They denounced the arrest as illegal, arguing that the Philippines is no longer a member of the International Criminal Court (ICC).
The Philippines withdrew its membership from the ICC on March 17, 2018. The withdrawal takes effect one year after the notification on March 16, 2019.
However, under the provision of the ICC, the court retains its jurisdiction over crimes committed before its withdrawal. This means that from November 1, 2011, to March 16, 2019, the crimes charged against Duterte were within the same period.
Duterte was taken into custody by the Philippine National Police after returning from a rally with overseas Filipino workers.
The arrest was carried out on an ICC warrant, and reports indicate he was flown to The Hague, Netherlands, to face trial for alleged crimes against humanity.
Accompanying Duterte on the flight were former Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, a nurse, and an assistant.
