A LONG WALK TO FREEDOM

14 June 2025
By Atty Harry  ROQUE

Rodrigo Duterte’s Long Walk to Freedom
Opinion Piece
Atty. Harry Roque
14 June 2025



“I was not a Messiah,” the great Nelson Mandela once said, “but an ordinary man who had become a leader because of extraordinary circumstances.” 

Today I recall these words of “Tata,” a term of endearment used by South Africans to President Nelson Mandela, which means “father” in Xhosa, as he was held in deep respect within South Africa. 

In the Philippines, we have our own version of Tata: former President Rodrigo Duterte, whom Filipinos fondly call “Tatay Digong.” On 19 June 2025, we will observe the 100th day of the former President’s kidnapping and illegal arrest at The Hague in the Netherlands. 

Today, 14 June 2025, is a special day for all Filipinos in The Netherlands and all over Europe. We remember Tatay Digong in his long walk to freedom during this year’s celebration of the 127th Independence Day of the Philippines. Our theme is “Kalayaan para kay Tatay Digong” as part of paying homage to the legacy of Tatay Digong. 

The rushed execution of fPRRD’s unlawful arrest last March 11 – a betrayal from his own government – came like a thief of night. Former President Duterte was an easy target because President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., together with his cabal of traitors, was very much willing to sell the sovereignty of the Philippines, for the sake of obliterating the Dutertes in the political landscape.

As a member of the International Criminal Court (ICC) roster of counsels since 2004, I have consistently argued that the ICC lost its authority to probe or prosecute individuals involved in the war on drugs campaign. 

PBBM, a duplicitous coward who went missing during the entire March 11 incident and only resurfaced after the chartered plane whisked fPRRD out of the Philippines, could not admit his role in the kidnapping of an octogenarian and simply washed his hands explaining that the government felt obliged to consider the request of the ICC since the process was referred to the Interpol. God knows Hudas not pay! 

Consider this: The ICC issued an arrest warrant against Russian President Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for war crimes. Both leaders have not been arrested. Former President Duterte, on the other hand, was arrested for crimes against humanity. Did the former President commit genocide, ethnic persecution, a systemic attack on civilians? And yet, Marcos Jr. permitted the arrest. It was a choice he and his cabal of traitors made.  

While other countries fight tooth and nail to protect their citizens from foreign courts, the Philippines under Marcos Jr. handed over a Filipino, a former President, and the Philippines’ Pambansang Tatay, to a foreign tribunal. What happened to those yakking about national sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea? We never lost an inch of our territory under the Duterte administration but our country has lost its dignity under the Marcos administration. 

President Duterte faced his fate with great courage. He could have avoided arrest but he chose to return to his homeland from Hong Kong. He surrendered without resistance to avoid bloodshed and made the ultimate sacrifice with no drama. Truly, a genuine leader – not just in words but in action. 

People may be divided by PRRD’s controversial policies as Chief Executive but the present generation of Filipinos will never forget the ungrateful and lying Marcos Jr. who stabbed in the back the Philippines’ most beloved leader who incidentally happened to restore the dignity of President Marcos Sr. with a proper burial. PBBM sent PRRD to the Hague to rot in detention. At least, Marcos Sr., for all his faults, had the decency not to persecute VP Salvador Laurel out of gratitude for the elder President Jose P. Laurel who saved Marcos Sr from jail. Read history and learn, folks. 

The illegal arrest of PRRD now elevated him to the pantheon of heroes and legends in the likes of Andres Bonifacio and Antonio Luna, patriots who were betrayed by their quisling countrymen. Mga nagkakaisang Pilipino, see you at Saturnussrtraat 60, Unit 21, 2516 AH Den Haag, Netherlands. Together, let us bring our flags, our voices, and our love for the Philippines as we stand united for justice, truth and patriotism.  

Mabuhay ang Pilipinas!

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