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Duterte supporters hold prayer rally outside PH Embassy, Consulate in US
LOS ANGELES, California – Supporters of former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte gathered in Washington, DC and New York City on Sunday to call for his immediate release from detention in The Hague in the Netherlands.
Duterte’s loyal supporters from Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. went to the Philippine Embassy in Washington, D.C. to hold the “Solidarity Prayer Rally for Duterte".
Meanwhile, other supporters trooped to the Philippine Consulate General in New York.
Participants offered prayers and well wishes for the former leader who is currently facing charges of crimes against humanity before the International Criminal Court (ICC) over his administration’s controversial war on drugs.
Many attendees were visibly emotional, voicing concerns over Duterte’s health while in ICC custody.
“We are here to pray for our former president and to show him that he is not alone,” said one supporter in Washington, D.C. “We believe in his leadership and his legacy, and we want him to return home to the Philippines.”
Meanwhile, human rights advocates and activists staged a separate protest a couple of days before Sunday's rallies, demanding Duterte’s accountability for the alleged extrajudicial killings that occurred during his presidency.
Demonstrators insisted that justice must be served for the thousands of victims of the war on drugs and rejected calls for his release.
Duterte was arrested on Tuesday upon his arrival in Manila from Hong Kong after the ICC issued an arrest warrant against him.
He was put on a plane that night on a flight to The Hague, arriving in Rotterdam after a stopover in Dubai.
Duterte entered the Hague Penitentiary Institution or the Scheveningen Prison on March 13 (early morning, PH time).
On Friday, Duterte faced via video link the ICC, while his counsel former executive secretary Salvador Medialdea was present inside the court.
The next hearing on the confirmation of the charges has been set for Sept. 23, 2025.
The ICC has been investigating Duterte and other top officials of his administration for crimes against humanity over the alleged systematic drug war deaths in police operations.
These deaths reached around 6,000 based on police records, but human rights groups contend that the deaths were as much as 30,000, including vigilante killings. —KG, GMA Integrated News
