- Supporters march in Davao as Duterte’s Hague detention hits one-year mark
AT LEAST 150 supporters gathered at the San Pedro Cathedral on Wednesday noon, March 11, for a “Bring Him Home” Mass, hoping to trigger a renewed push for the return of former President Rodrigo Duterte exactly one year after he was taken to The Hague.
Vice President Sara Duterte, who attended the mass, characterized the past year as a period of “injustice” not just for her father, but for the nation.
“A Filipino was kidnapped by this government and (brought to the ICC),” she told reporters, directly accusing the current administration of abandoning its own citizen to a foreign court.
The religious service was followed by an assembly at Magsaysay Park, where supporters prepared for a “Walk for Peace” to Rizal Park, followed by an Ecumenical mass by 5 p.m. on the same day.
Sara slams kidnapping
Speaking to reporters at the sidelines of the “Bring Him Home” Mass at San Pedro Cathedral, the vice president claimed that the Filipino people remain “furious” over the administration’s alleged consent to foreign jurisdiction.
“It is unthinkable that a government, no matter the political differences, would consent a citizen to a foreign jurisdiction… for crimes against humanity with no basis and no proper witnesses,” the Vice President said.
Nonetheless, she thanked supporters for their prayers, stating that the anger of the Filipino people “will not subside until former President Rodrigo Duterte is returned to the Philippines.”
“I’m grateful to my countrymen, to all Filipinos now who are sympathizing with former President Duterte in the face of his kidnapping and the injustice done to him,” she said
Peaceful rally
Meanwhile, the Davao City Police Office (DCPO) reported no significant incidents during the “Justice for Tatay Digong! Justice for the Filipino People” motorcade and prayer rally, according to the 5 p.m. situational report from acting city director Col Mannan Muarip.
The motorcade officially began at 3:05 p.m. following the noon mass at San Pedro Cathedral.
The DCPO deployed 113 personnel, including units from the Civil Disturbance Management, SWAT, and the Traffic Enforcement Unit.
Despite the heated political undertones of the day’s events, the police characterized the overall situation as “peaceful and normal.”
