Mass actions have erupted in various areas of the country, as well as in many parts of the world, as Filipinos took to the streets to express their contrasting sentiments on the arrest and detention of former president Rodrigo R. Duterte at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, Netherlands.
On Saturday, March 15, pro- and anti-Duterte supporters faced off just outside the ICC headquarters in The Hague, with those seeking the former president’s release lashing at the Philippine government for allowing a foreign entity to take custody of a Filipino citizen.
The other side – holding photos of alleged victims of extra-judicial killing (EJK) during the Duterte administration – stressed the need for accountability, and hailed the incarceration of the former chief executive.
But the mass actions, both in the Philippines and the rest of the world, were predominantly staged by supporters of the former president – all asking for his immediate return to the country.
In Manila, thousands of Duterte supporters gathered at the Liwasang Bonifacio, fronting the Manila Central Post Office, also on Saturday, in a prayer rally organized by the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC).
Senators Rolando “Bato” Dela Rosa and Bong Go led the roster of personalities who addressed the rally.
Also present were former chief presidential legal counsel Salvador Panelo, as well as Partido Demokratiko Pilipino (PDP) senatorial candidates, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s former executive secretary Vic Rodriguez, and Sagip Party-list Rep. Rodante Marcoleta.
Supporters, dressed in red and green, waved banners calling for justice, unity, and peace amid ongoing political and social challenges in the Philippines.
Davao City Mayor Sebastian 'Baste' Duterte speaks before a large crowd during the Solidarity Walk for FPRRD. (Keith Bacongco)
Hotbed of protests
Duterte’s hometown Davao City has become the hotbed of protests against his detention with rallies being staged for the fifth straight day ever since the former president was taken into custody by the Philippine National Police (PNP), and flown out of the country for The Hague, Netherlands, on March 11.
About 30,000 supporters of the former president marched on the streets of Davao City on Sunday, March 16, and called for his release from detention at The Hague in Netherlands.
Dubbed as a solidarity walk, the event was the culminating part of the civic parade of the 88th Araw ng Dabaw celebrations.
Clad in black shirts, residents carried banners and streamers mostly printed with “We stand with FPRRD” and “Bring Him Back Home.”
Participants were young professionals, vendors, entrepreneurs, medical professionals, farmers, indigenous peoples, teachers, and retirees.
“We are here to show our support to our former President and our former longtime mayor of Davao,” a retired school teacher said.
Residents also gathered on sidewalks and joined the chanting as the contingent passed by.
The solidarity walk kicked off after the civic parade from Roxas Ave., passed through CM Recto St., and culminated in front of the city hall on San Pedro St.
Some contingents in the civic parade were seen carrying the same posters and streamers.
Almost all throughout the solidarity walk, the participants chanted “Duterte,Duterte, Duterte!” and “Bring Him Back Home.”
Some participants mocked President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and Criminal Investigation and Detection Group chief Police Major Gen. Nicolas Torre through their chants.
Supporters of the former President have been organizing prayer rallies and noise barrages here since March 11.
Almost 100 cars and motorcycles held a noise barrage around this city on Saturday night.
Organizers said that rallies would not stop until Duterte returned home.
The former president’s son Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte has been addressing the mass actions, particularly Saturday night’s Solidarity Walk for FPRRD.
Motorcades, noise barrages, and prayer rallies are being staged each night, with contingents from among the 182 barangays in Davao City, converging on Rizal Park.
There were also other pro-Duterte rallies reportedly held in Koronadal City, Basilan, Davao de Oro, and General Santos City.
At the Butuan City Sports Complex in Butuan City, a prayer rally was held Saturday night with Duterte supporters seeking the immediate return of the ex-president from The Hague.
“Sana makonsensya sila, sana gagawa sila ng paraan na makabalik sa ating bayan ang ating nakakaawa na Pangulong Duterte (I hope their conscience bothers them, enough for them to find a way that our pitiful President Duterte could be returned to the country),” a teary-eyed 61-year-old supporter said.
‘Generally peaceful’
Amid all the rallies that have been staged in different parts of the country, the Philippine National Police (PNP) gave the observation that these have been “generally peaceful.”
In the Liwasang Bonifacio rally alone, PNP Spokesperson Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo said police did not monitor any major untoward incident.
This was the same assessment for the rallies that have been staged in other parts of the country since March 11.
“Naging generally peaceful naman ‘yung mga naging aktibidad at ‘yung mga protesta at rally relating sa pangyayari nung nakaraang Martes… Ang huling report natin na natanggap ay mga past 11 p.m. na po at maayos namang natapos ang mga activities nationwide,” Fajardo said in a Super Radyo dzBB interview. (The activities, protests, and rallies related to what happened last Tuesday were generally peaceful... The activities nationwide ended in an orderly manner at 11 p.m.)
“Nakabantay tayo simula pa lamang ng kanilang activities at naging maayos naman po at wala naman po tayong nai-record na any major untoward incidents,” she added. (We had been monitoring the activities since they started. It went well and we did not record any major untoward incidents.)
Pro-Duterte Filipinos gather in Berlin, Germany, to seek the former president's return to the Philippines.
Voices from abroad
Meanwhile, social media was bustling with posts from different countries where rallies were staged by Filipinos – all asking justice for the detained former president and seeking for his immediate release.
There were also groups in some of these areas which were lauding the imprisonment of Duterte.
In video clips shared on Facebook, Youtube, Instagram, Tiktok, and X, Filipinos could be seen amassing at public places, holding placards, and chanting “Duterte! Duterte!”
In Madrid, Spain, thousands of Filipinos gathered at the Rizal Monument, and staged a tumultuous rally, seeking the release of Duterte.
The other places where rallies were also staged were in Tokyo and Osaka in Japan, Helsinki, Finland; Berlin, Germany; Toronto, Canada; Prague, Czech Republic; Seoul, South Korea; and Auckland, New Zealand.
Justice achieved
But while a majority of the mass actions were held to support Duterte, there, too, were gatherings staged to convey sentiments of justice achieved with his arrest and detention.
Relatives of extrajudicial killings (EJK) victims gathered at the Dambana ng Paghilom (Shrine of Healing) in La Loma Cemetery in Caloocan City on Friday, March 14 for the inurnment of 18 of their loved ones.
The families turned emotional as they mourned their loved ones during the ceremony in which they renewed their call for justice.
For the families of the victims, Duterte’s arrest was a step closer to justice.
“Matatanggap na ng anak ko ang hustisya niya. Hindi lang sa anak ko, kundi sa iba niyang pinagpapatay na tao (My son will receive his justice. Not just for my son, but for the other people he killed),” said Crispin Cena.
“Gusto ko mangyari rin sa kanya ang ginawa niya sa anak ko. Marami siyang pinapatay (I want what he did to my son to happen to him. He ordered to kill a lot of people),” Gloria de Jesus added.
“Kulang pa rin ang buhay niya para sa amin, kasi sa dami namin. Katulad ng asawa ko, di naman adik. Di naman addict lahat iyan, (His life is still not enough for us, because there are so many of us. Like my husband, he's not an addict. Not all of them are addicts),” Maria Tion said. (With reports from Alyssa Nievera, and Mike Crismundo)