Davao City 1st District Representative Paolo “Pulong” Duterte has strongly denounced the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) decision to deny the interim release of his father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, calling it a “gross and disgraceful miscarriage of justice.”
“This decision is a gross and disgraceful miscarriage of justice. It is not law — it is a political theater,” Paolo wrote in a statement posted on his official Facebook page following the ICC ruling.
The lawmaker defended his father, who faces charges of crimes against humanity in relation to the government’s anti-drug campaign, saying that the former president has long been a victim of political persecution.
“My father, an 80-year-old man who is no longer in power, has been in fact a subject of political persecution in his own country since he stepped down,” he said, emphasizing that the former leader “is definitely not a flight risk.”
Rep. Duterte also condemned what he described as the “kidnapping” of his father, vowing accountability against those he accused of involvement, including alleged foreign conspirators. “To all kidnappers of my father I will make sure that you will pay for this crime that you have committed. To the CIA who connived in this criminal act, my father’s kidnapping will not silence him,” he stated.
He warned that the decision could further inflame public sentiment, saying, “The anger of his people on his baseless imprisonment might just worsen just as their love for him will grow bigger.”
The congressman vowed to challenge the ICC’s decision through legal channels. “We’ll appeal. We’ll fight this by the book. And by the grace of the Almighty, my father will go home to his beloved Philippines,” he said, thanking supporters who continue to stand by their family with the hashtag #StandWithDuterte.
Earlier this week, the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I denied Rodrigo Duterte’s request for temporary release, citing potential risks to judicial integrity and witness safety, as well as concerns about flight risk. The former president’s fitness to stand trial remains under assessment.
