Screengrabbed from ICC MANILA, Philippines — Former President Rodrigo Duterte’s camp on Araw ng Kagitingan (Day of Valor) called on Filipinos to summon the bravery of national heroes in opposing what they described as a betrayal of sovereignty and justice. In a statement on Wednesday, former presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo insisted that the former President was facing a “global injustice,” calling on supporters to “compel his triumphant return.” READ: Duterte’s ICC arrest: Separating fact from lies “This will mean confronting the oppressors who lurk within our own gates: those who wield the powers of government not to uplift, but to betray; those who with calculated ambition, sell out our sovereignty, and turn their backs on the very citizens they swore to serve and protect —all for political gain and the hollow glitter of power,” Panelo said. Duterte compared to WW2 heroes Panelo made the pronouncement as the nation commemorated the Day of Valor, even comparing Duterte to the Filipinos who suffered in the Bataan Death March during World War II. The Palace, for its part, previously maintained that the ICC retains jurisdiction over the crimes committed while the Philippines was a member, up until its withdrawal from the Rome Statute in 2018. This is based on a decision by the High Court in 2021 penned by Senior Associate Justice Marvic Leonen which reminded the Philippine government that “withdrawing from the Rome Statute does not discharge a state party from the obligations it has incurred as a member.” READ: Palace: ICC has jurisdiction on cases when Duterte was mayor until 2019. Read Full Story
