Rep. Duterte: FPRRD won't return to PH as long as BBM is president
By Ivy Tejano
MARCOS (FB)
DAVAO CITY – Former President Rodrigo Duterte won’t return to the Philippines as long as Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. is president, Davao City first district Rep. Paolo Duterte said Monday.
Speaking to Duterte supporters outside the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Rep. Duterte said his family is praying for his father’s eventual return, but the former President prefers to remain abroad for now.
“That is what we are all praying for—that he might be able to return to the Philippines. But according to him, he will stay here for now as long as Marcos is still the president,” the Davao City lawmaker said.
Rep. Duterte provided an update on the former President’s health, saying he is eating well and has gained some weight, though his legs have become thinner due to lack of exercise.
“Overall, he is healthy and being well cared for by the doctors inside (the ICC detention facility),” he added.
The former President, who is facing ICC proceedings related to his administration’s anti-drug campaign, has been staying in The Hague, Netherlands, while the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I reviews his case, including his health status.
Rep. Duterte said former President Duterte urged Filipinos to continue following the Constitution. “To our fellow citizens and the military, if you think the Filipino people are in danger, protect the Filipinos and the Philippines.”
Meanwhile, Duterte supporters launched a signature campaign dubbed “Tay, Kami Naman!” on Monday, Jan. 12, at Rizal Park on San Pedro St. in Davao City with hundreds of residents and visitors signing on.
Joie Cruz, political observer of the Tay, Kami Naman movement, said the campaign aims to raise public awareness and pressure the Supreme Court to resolve pending cases related to the former President’s alleged illegal arrest and referral to the ICC.
Cruz said the movement highlights broader concerns over civil liberties in the Philippines. “What happened to former President Duterte is unacceptable for an ordinary Filipino like me,” she added.
She said if Filipinos allow the government to take a citizen and deprive them of their freedom without a clear legal basis, what happened to the former President could happen to anyone.
Cruz said the campaign seeking to reach around 500,000 signatures or more reflects growing public engagement from Duterte’s supporters as legal proceedings abroad continue to determine the former President’s next steps.