DAVAO City First District Representative Paolo “Pulong” Duterte described March 11 as a somber milestone, recalling the day his father, former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, was taken to The Hague — a moment he called deeply painful for both the family and their supporters.
“March 11 is not just a date. It is a reminder. A reminder of loyalty repaid with betrayal, of service answered with persecution, and of a nation that will one day demand accountability from those who allowed this injustice to happen,” Pulong said in a statement Wednesday.
He contrasted his father’s past efforts to serve the nation with how he was later treated, citing the decision to allow the burial of Ferdinand Marcos Sr. at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.
Pulong described that move as a gesture of reconciliation, intended to heal historical wounds, but said recent events feel more like a betrayal than an expression of gratitude.
“The Filipino people will remember. And history will judge,” he said, emphasizing his father’s campaign against crime and illegal drugs and the public’s awareness of those who opposed him.
Meanwhile, Vice President Sara Duterte marked the anniversary as a pivotal test of Philippine democracy, due process, and the rule of law. She said her father’s extraordinary rendition underscores that the law must never be weaponized for political or personal interests.
“Walang sinumang Pilipino ang dapat pagkakaitan ng proteksyon ng ating Saligang Batas. Sama-sama nating itaguyod ang isang Pilipinas kung saan ang batas ay kalasag ng katarungan at ang ating soberanya ay iginagalang ng lahat (No Filipino should be deprived of the protection of our Constitution). “Let us work together to uphold a Philippines where the law serves as a shield of justice and where our sovereignty is respected by all,” she said in a statement on March 11, 2026.
The vice president urged Filipinos to defend the country’s dignity, emphasizing the importance of independent institutions free from external interference.
Former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte was taken into custody in The Hague on March 11, 2025, following an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant related to alleged crimes against humanity linked to his war on drugs. While Philippine authorities and the ICC describe the transfer as a formal arrest, some commentators have characterized the event as a kidnapping or a politically motivated action, especially since, according to the supporters, no physical warrant of arrest was read nor presented to the former president, but the copy was only read through a phone. RGP