Former President Rodrigo Duterte, currently detained at the Scheveningen Prison in The Hague for crimes against humanity linked to his administration’s war on drugs, has sent a stirring message to Filipinos just days before the 2025 elections.
“Do good, fight for your country, and fight for what is right,” Duterte urged, as shared by his daughter Veronica “Kitty” Duterte during PDP Laban’s campaign rally in Muntinlupa City on Wednesday.
Kitty, who attended the rally with her mother, Honeylet Avanceña, said she recently spoke with her father, who expressed pride in her and encouraged her to continue her advocacy.
“Nagusap kami ni Dada Rody ko kahapon. Sabi niya sa akin, ay sobrang proud siya sa akin at ipagpatuloy ko lang daw ito,” she was quotes as saying by GMA News Online, her voice filled with emotion. “Sinabi niya sa akin, ‘Do good, fight for your country, and fight for what is right. Wag kayong mag-alala because this is not forever, God will intervene.’”
The former president was arrested in the Philippines on March 11 under a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC), a development that has drawn both domestic and international attention.
Kitty Duterte, now 21, also urged the Filipino youth to make wise choices in the upcoming May 12 elections. “Mga kababayan, mga kabataan, magboto tayo ng tama, magboto tayo ng may puso para sa pagserbisyo ngayong eleksyon,” she emphasized.
PDP Laban, the political party chaired by Duterte, is in the final stretch of its campaign, featuring a 10-man senatorial slate. Candidates including Atty. Vic Rodriguez, Atty. Jayvee Hinlo, Atty. Raul Lambino, Atty. Jimmy Bondoc, and Dr. Richard Mata are leading the charge.
The party’s final grand rally will take place at Liwasang Bonifacio in Manila City on Thursday, May 8.
