Volume 6, Issue No. 41
OPINION/COMMENTARY
/ News That Fears None, Views That Favor Nobody /
Our latest as of Monday, March 31, 2025
~ Covering the support/protest/birthday rally for former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte at Earl Bales Park on Saturday, March 29 gave us a sense of what and how the thousands of Filipinos abroad feel about his continued detention in The Hague, Netherlands under the custody of the International Criminal Court. The same outcries, the same demands, the same revulsion are repeated a thousand times here in Canada's largest city.
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IN TORONTO, HUNDREDS BRAVED RAINS
World Outcry for Ex-President Duterte's Release
Supporters Say He Was 'Kidnapped' by ICC
By ROMEO P. MARQUEZ
Editor, The Filipino Web Channel
"We are easily comforted for the misfortunes of our friends, when those misfortunes give us an occasion of expressing our affection and solicitude." - Francois de La Rochefoucauld
TORONTO - What appears to be a spontaneous outpouring of support for detained former Philippine President Rodrigo Roa Duterte is real, an unforeseen phenomenon seemingly unprecedented in magnitude.
This past weekend here at Earl Bales Park in Canada's largest city, hundreds of individuals and organizations braved the rain and chilly weather to show their affection, respect, and concern for the 80-year-old.
Those are the driving force - made even more compelling when experts' opinion are taken into account that he was kidnapped - for their call for his return to the Philippines from detention in the Netherlands.
Currently in custody of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague for what it calls "crimes against humanity" he allegedly committed during his term as president from 2016 to 2022 and as mayor of Davao City years prior, Duterte looked unperturbed by all the fuss around him.
He accepts his fate, or whatever awaits him, and says in news videos on social media that he is resigned to the fact that his age, coupled with some health issues, would be the deciding factor on what remains of his life.
If he's able to ride out those problems and the ICC continues to prosecute him to the end, he declares he'd gladly choose to be executed by firing squad as what had happened to Philippine national hero Jose Rizal in 1896.
Love and respect for "Tatay Digong" (as he is affectionately called) rather than politics are generating the rallies, which, basically are a show of gratitude for what he had done to uplift the pitiful plight of hundreds of thousands of overseas workers at the hands of their abusive employers.
It's not a wonder then that the rallies began at the grassroots level. Duterte's base has always been the underprivileged, the common men and women whose life struggles echo his own.
Even as the ICC claimed his "arrest" was lawful, in the eyes of legal experts and his supporters, it was a surprise "kidnapping" done soon after he deplaned in Manila from a trip to Hongkong.
That "kidnapping" was tantamount to a surrender of Philippine sovereignty to an organization (the ICC) and enabled by the government of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
"Former President Duterte deserves the due process," a rallyist named Violet told this reporter. "If he did anything wrong he should be tried in his own country and at his age, it's not very Filipino to be treated like that."
Related videos:
"In our culture, we never treat people like that, especially somebody who has done so much for our country. So I support the Duterte family and I pray for the Philippines and I am here because of that," she added.
Maria, another supporter, explained: "Hindi po dumaan sa due process ang pagka-arrest sa kanya and it's not fair. We are here to support former President Duterte. We're asking the ICC for his release."
Regardless of the politics, Duterte endeared himself to his countrymen by championing the cause of small people, particularly the downtrodden.
In many world capitals where Filipinos and OFWs have significant presence, international news and videos on social media show a massive turnout of folks demanding Duterte's release.
In fact, if online video postings are to be believed, the Netherlands, particularly The Hague where ICC is located, is experiencing a sudden surge of visitor arrivals from across Europe, thanks to Duterte and his followers. (Copyright 2025. All Rights Reserved).
How about a balancer item to such narratives, Romy? (Or do pardon me if you have chosen to be on one side!) Because of the massive barrage of fake news today, countless kababayans abroad are naturally responding as you describe. Maawain talaga ang Pilipino by nature. There are classic examples of politicized journalism becoming very evident in most foreign-based releases after the DDS machinery reportedly released “massive funding” to generate sympathy from Filipinos abroad who are mostly misinformed. Whether ICC responds to such pressures should demonstrate how they look upon human rights issues before any trial can even take place. (Kidnapped? That’s a sorely abused term these days.)
ReplyDeleteYour thoughts, good buddy Romy?
Regards, Sluggo Rigor, Seattle, WA