SAIPAN, Northern Marianas — More than 250 supporters of former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte took part in a rally Friday night at the Civic Center here to demand his return to the Philippines as well as celebrate the 17th Philippine president’s birthday.
Marie Zayko and Roderick Lopez spearheaded the “I stand with Duterte. I am not a Filipino for nothing. Bring FPRRD home” event and said the rally was organized from the grassroots level.
“This is in support of Duterte who right now is in the Netherlands because of Bong Bong Marcos (Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.). This one started only three weeks ago when I called him (Lopez) and I said, ‘why don’t we organize even only in your house?’ because it’s like Saipan is very quiet and we don’t know who are Digong supporters here. And then he said, ‘sure Ninang, we’ll do it.’ So. after that, you spoke to your wife, right? He spoke to his wife and then his wife told a friend and the friend told a friend and the rest is just history,” said Zayco.
Lopez thanked everyone who attended the rally and promised this won’t be the last.
“To our friends here supporting President Duterte, we just keep praying so that we can bring him home to the Philippines and to the [Marcos] administration, please do the right thing for the people of the Philippines. “
Zayco also reiterated her request to bring Duterte home and also appealed to the International Criminal Court in The Hague to release him.
“I hope Bongbong Marcos and the [Philippine] government will realize what they did to Duterte because it’s really terrible, really terrible. [My] message to ICC, Duterte is a good president. Please, he helped a lot of people. So much people that he helped, please release him,” she said. Bongbong is the nickname of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Lopez said the ICC was actually breaking the law in arresting Duterte.
“I think it’s illegal detention because the Philippines is not under ICC already since 2019.”
Duterte supporters Joven Merin and Jerry Soriano said Duterte meant so much to the Filipino people.
“I want to thank President Rodrigo Duterte because I supported him when [I was a] former volunteer in the Tukhang. Tukang means someone who surrendered, you need to deliver the word of God so that the addict becomes a good guy. That’s the one that President Duterte told us to do in Las Pinas,” he said.
Sorinao, meanwhile, appealed to the ICC to “bring back Tatay Digong from the Philippines, that’s all!”
“Even me, happy birthday Tatay Digong and I pray that [the] ICC judge [sets] free Tatay Digong [so he can] go back to the Philippines,” added Merin.
The rally started around 5 p.m. with Duterte supporters trickling in, wearing white and green T-shirts specially made for the occasion.
With “Ibalik Sa Pilipinas Si Duterte-Our Battle Cry Song To Bring Back FPRRD Home” by Machine SoundWaves blaring from a portable speaker, Duterte supporters started waving flags and greeted motorists who honked back in support.
Last Saturday, Joel Subang Sr. organized a smaller gathering at the Garapan Fishing Base also calling for Duterte’s return to the Philippines.
“I’m praying that Tatay Digong will be returned to the Philippines on his birthday. He wasn’t given the right to an attorney and wasn’t respected as a former president. His arrest was very hurried and our justice system was bypassed,” he said.
Romeo Malasarte, another Duterte supporter, said the former leader’s arrest and subsequent detention by the ICC wasn’t just a political issue.
“The arrest of a former president based on an ICC warrant—carried out by our own police—is a blatant disregard for our national sovereignty. You may not agree with everything Duterte did, but if a Filipino leader can be handed over to a foreign court just like that, who’s next? This is no longer about being pro or anti-Duterte—this is about standing up for the dignity of every Filipino,” he said.
Duterte critics in Saipan, however, said the ICC had every right to arrest the former president due to the crimes against humanity he committed against the Filipino people.
Allegations stemmed from his time as Davao City mayor where extrajudicial killings were rampant and the brutal nationwide “war on drugs” he’s suspected of waging after he became president in 2016.
“Everything’s is legal. Those who will oppose it will say it’s illegal. His supporters are now asking for due process, something victims of his ‘war on drugs’ weren’t given. They were just killed on the spot. We need justice for all the victims of extrajudicial killings during Duterte’s time in office,” said Joselito Espino.
And his message to Duterte’s supporters—wake up and stop idolizing the former president.
Darwin Gonzales, meanwhile, said Duterte’s arrest was a long time coming and due process was observed as the ICC had all the time needed based on the intelligence of all government agencies involved.
“ICC through the Interpol did it in a most lawful process as possible given that the Philippines is no longer a member of the ICC. They just did the right thing. They’re not ICC if they themselves will be partisan on the issue with PRRD (Duterte). BBM (Marcos) did the right thing to allow the process of justice take its course through ICC. His government studied and planned it so well with all our laws available backing it up. States like the Philippines, which is a member of the international community, just did its part and obliged to do it for the sake of smooth relationship with the international community.”
At the end of the day, Gonzales said at least Duterte would be given the right to defend himself in a court of law. “Either guilty or not guilty as long as the right process will be implemented, I’m okay with it. I’m all for justice and justice can be obtained if we will listen to both sides and let ICC handle its business in deciding PRRD’s fate.”
