AMID criticism from Duterte supporters over her “restrained” stance, Cebu Gov. Pamela Baricuatro called for former President Rodrigo Duterte to return home instead of facing trial before the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, Netherlands.
A Duterte supporter herself, Baricuatro repeated her opposition to Duterte’s trial before the ICC. She said he should return home to be with his family.
“He’s already served the country. He should be with his family, with his constituents and yet he’s out there being imprisoned,” she told reporters on Monday, Feb. 23, 2026.
Before the interview, the ICC at 5 p.m. Monday (Philippine time) held a confirmation of charges hearing against Duterte over alleged crimes against humanity linked to his anti-drug campaign.
The ICC’s Pre-Trial Chamber I tackled allegations involving killings in Davao City from 2013 to 2016, killings of supposed high-value targets from 2016 to 2017 and deaths and attempted killings during anti-drug operations from 2016 to 2018.
Presiding Judge Iulia Antoanella Motoc said Duterte is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Duterte did not attend the hearing after waiving his right to appear. His lead counsel, Nicholas Kaufman, represented him.
No comment
Baricuatro did not comment on the legal aspects of the case. She instead cited Duterte’s years of public service.
“I’m really against the former president being treated like that,” she said. “How I wish nga mabalik siya diri (he could return here) and be with his family and the people he loves,” she said.
Asked about her stance on politics, Baricuatro said her focus remains on governance.
“Ang importante, ang akong priority ang people not politics (The important thing is that my priority is the people, not politics),” she said.
“Serbisyo lang una ang atong hunahuna, maybe politics later na na (Let’s think about service first, maybe politics can come later),” she said.
“Color-blind” governor
In a Feb. 18 interview, Baricuatro welcomed Vice President Sara Duterte’s announcement to run for president in the 2028 elections. She declined to elaborate, saying she does not want to delve into politics for now and is “color-blind.”
Her remarks drew criticism from Duterte supporters. They described her earlier response as “restrained” and “conservative” and said they expected her to take a stronger stance.
The governor took to social media Saturday, Feb. 21, to repeat that she remains “color-blind” in politics and is focused on serving Cebu. She said, “Please allow me to serve the people, as I promised.”
Duterte endorsed Baricuatro’s 2025 gubernatorial bid. Political observers said the endorsement contributed to her victory. / CDF