- FPRRD to return only after Marcos Presidency: Pulong
FORMER President Rodrigo Duterte reportedly has no plans to return to the Philippines so long as President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. remains in power, 1st District Rep. Paolo “Pulong” Duterte revealed.
Speaking to reporters outside the International Criminal Court (ICC) headquarters in The Hague, the lawmaker addressed the possibility of his father’s return to his home country.
“That is what we are praying for to the Lord—that he might be able to return to the Philippines. But according to him, he will stay here for now as long as President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is still the president,” Rep. Duterte said.
The statement highlighted the deepening rift between the Duterte and Marcos families, as the former president continues to face legal proceedings regarding his administration’s “war on drugs.”
The former president remains in the Netherlands as the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I reviews his legal standing and health status.
‘Protect the Philippines’
Meanwhile, the lawmaker also relayed a message to the Filipino public and the armed forces. He emphasized that his father’s stance remains consistent: a call to uphold the law and prioritize national safety.
“His message, since he was still [in office], is to follow the Constitution of the Philippines,” the congressman stated.
Addressing the military and the general public, the former president reportedly issued a call for vigilance. “To our countrymen and to the military, he said that if you feel the Filipino people are in danger, protect the Filipino and the Philippines,” he said.
