DAVAO City First District Representative Paolo “Pulong” Duterte responded strongly to a statement made by a civil society coalition, 1Sambayan, warning any country that would receive former President Rodrigo Duterte if his appeal for interim release is approved.
Pulong, in a statement released on June 16, accused 1sambayan of political opportunism, noting that the group was silent in past instances of national threats involving drug syndicates and insurgent attacks.
He added that the coalition’s warning to the international community reflected a biased and selective concern for justice.
“We received news on another supposed group of people who call themselves 1sambayan, warning countries who will receive our former President Rody Duterte, should his appeal for an interim release be approved,” Pulong said. “It is quite interesting now that these people would go to great lengths to warn states from receiving our very own president.”
The congressman said the international community is fully aware of the context behind the former president’s anti-drug campaign, adding that no crime against humanity was committed. He described his father’s action as “a legitimate action of a man who actually had the balls to do what is necessary to save his country from illegal drugs and criminality.”
Pulong also accused 1sambayan of being covertly funded by a group he derisively referred to as “TAMBANGAG,” a term suggesting a portmanteau of “Tambaloslos” and “Bangag”.
He linked the group's actions to early maneuvering for the 2028 national elections.
“Like any other member of the Makabayan bloc, 1sambayan is a group similarly funded by TAMBANGAG using taxpayers’ money to fuel his twisted dream that he can still be president in 2028,” he said.
Pulong stressed that his father no longer harbors political ambitions and is simply seeking to return to the Philippines to spend his remaining years with family.
“President Duterte is already weak and old; his only dream right now is to return to his country and be with his family. He is no longer a threat to the presidency as he is already legally barred from doing so,” he said. “Sadly, the very country that he served cannot accept him back because of its leaders who now disown him.”
He called on the public to continue supporting the former president, asking Filipinos to “pray for FPRRD and that he may finally return to his country that he dearly loves and faithfully served.”
1Sambayan released a statement on June 14, stating that Duterte’s petition for temporary freedom is a “profound insult to the Filipino people and a blatant disregard for the victims of his regime’s brutal human rights abuses.”
It also warned that granting Duterte interim release could intimidate witnesses, obstruct justice, and send a dangerous message that impunity is possible for powerful political figures.
The coalition then urged countries reportedly considering hosting Duterte to reject the arrangement, arguing that doing so would undermine the credibility of the ICC and the global human rights framework.
The legal team of former President Duterte has filed a request for provisional release from the ICC, citing his advanced age and declining health. His legal counsel confirmed that one ICC member state has expressed willingness to host him under strict conditions, including surveillance and travel restrictions. The ICC prosecution has not yet opposed the motion, and a final ruling is pending.
Human rights advocates and lawyers, including the National Union of People’s Lawyers (NUPL) and ICC-accredited counsel for drug war victims, echoed concerns over Duterte’s potential release. They warned that his influence, even while in detention, could still affect witnesses and the course of justice.
FPRRD remains at the center of a historic case before the ICC, accused of allegedly orchestrating thousands of extrajudicial killings during his six-year term.