Claire Castro, Undersecretary of the Presidential Communications Office, stated that the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte by the International Criminal Court (ICC) was solely due to allegations stemming from his controversial war on drugs. This statement comes in response to accusations made by Davao City Mayor Baste Duterte.
Background on Duterte's Arrest
Walang napatay, walang biktima, walang magkakaso, walang kaso, walang ICC, walang The Hague. If no one was killed, there would have been no victim, no complainant, no case, no ICC, no The Hague.
Claire Castro, Undersecretary, Presidential Communications Office
- Duterte was arrested on March 11, 2025.
- Arrest facilitated by Interpol.
Mayor Baste Duterte had suggested that the current administration, led by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., played a part in his father's detention. In a recent assembly, he claimed that certain authorities acted in concert with a president who he described as operating like a syndicate.
In her podcast, Castro rebutted these claims, asserting that the legal proceedings against Duterte were a direct result of his own actions and admissions concerning the war on drugs. She emphasized that the focus should remain on the consequences of those policies rather than on any alleged political machinations by the Marcos administration.
Additionally, Castro referenced comments made by retired Colonel Jovie Espenido. Espenido had previously described the Philippine National Police during Duterte's presidency as having transformed into what he called the 'biggest organized crime group'.
Castro urged Mayor Baste Duterte to acknowledge the realities of his father's administration rather than blaming the current president for the fallout from those years.