Davao City Acting Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte has filed a kidnapping complaint against several officials in connection with the arrest and transfer of his father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, to the International Criminal Court (ICC). The complaint was lodged by the family’s lawyer, Atty. Israelito Torreon.
The move comes months after the ICC executed its warrant for Duterte, who was arrested at Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport in March 2025 as he returned from Hong Kong. He was later turned over to ICC custody in The Hague, where he faces crimes against humanity charges linked to his administration’s bloody war on drugs.
Baste Duterte’s complaint echoes the Duterte family’s longstanding position that the arrest was unlawful. Both he and Vice President Sara Duterte had previously referred to the incident as a “kidnapping,” insisting that their father’s transfer violated Philippine sovereignty and due process. Sara Duterte’s remarks were even cited by ICC prosecutors as grounds to oppose her father’s interim release, warning that such rhetoric suggested attempts to undermine the legitimacy of the court.
The family’s narrative adds another layer to the unfolding legal battle. While the ICC maintains the arrest was carried out under a valid warrant and with international cooperation, Duterte’s defense team insists that what transpired amounted to abduction. “You would always say, ‘keep on loving, it is what makes the world go round,’” Duterte’s youngest daughter, Veronica “Kitty” Duterte, earlier wrote in a public post, adding, “You always called me the flower of your life. I pray you know you are the sunlight of mine.”
Beyond the legal fight, questions remain about the former president’s health. His lawyers have argued that he suffers from “impaired memory” and an inability to retain new information, prompting the ICC to postpone the confirmation of charges hearing while a full medical assessment is conducted.
