Acting Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte has filed multiple charges against several government officials before the Office of the Ombudsman for Mindanao in Davao City on Monday, September 15, 2025, for the alleged illegal arrest of his father, former President Rodrigo Duterte.

Sebastian’s lawyers led by Atty. Israelito Torreon filed the criminal cases, including kidnapping, arbitrary detention, qualified direct assault, expulsion, usurpation of judicial functions, all under the Revised Penal Code, and for alleged violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act (R.A. 3019).

The cases were filed against DILG Secretary Juan Victor Remulla, Department of National Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro, National Security Adviser Eduardo Año, DOJ Secretary Crispin Remulla, Undersecretary Nicholas Felix Ty, former PNP Chiefs Nicolas Torre III and Rommel Marbil, Markus Lacanilao, Anthony Alcantara, Richard Anthony Fadullon, Brigadier General Jean Fajardo, and several others.

“It is official that as of 8:55am September 15, 2025, Mayor Sebastian Z. Duterte filed 9 Criminal Cases before the Office of the Ombudsman for Mindanao for Kidnapping and other crimes against Secretary Juan Victor Remulla, Secretary Gilbert Teodoro, Secretary Eduardo Año, Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla, USEC Nicholas Felix Ty, PGeneral Rommel Francisco Marbil, PGeneral Nicolas Deloso Torre, Markus Lacanilao, Prosecutor Richard Anthony Fadullon, PGeneral Jean Fajardo and John Does,” Torreon said in a Facebook post.

It can be recalled that Senator Imee Marcos also filed a similar case over the arrest of the former president and his transfer to the ICC.

However, it was dismissed by the Ombudsman. According to the senator, she had already filed a motion for reconsideration.

Torreon said their complaint is different from the one filed by Marcos.

“May substantial difference po itong kaso namin sa ifinile ni Senator Imee Marcos, ang substantial difference po nito ay ang mga tao mismo na nandoon po sa incident noong March 11, 2025 retired generals, Atty Martin Delgra was there and I we all executed our affidavits as to what transpired really in the incident,” Torreon said.

The respondents have yet to issue a statement, as of this writing.

Mayor Duterte’s lawyers also responded when asked about Remulla’s application for the Ombudsman post amid the filing of the new case.

“The rules are clear when the applicant is required to submit a clearance they should have a clearance and the clearance will be issued only if there is no pending case,” Atty. Leo Delgra said.

“We are hoping that since the Office of the Ombudsman is already aware that there is another case filed against these government officials and if they would request for clearances they would not be issued such clearances because the filing of the case would in effect be a notice to them that there is a pending case therefore a clearance shall not be issued to these officers,” Torreon added.

Remulla has reportedly applied to be the next Ombudsman, which has the power to suspend, dismiss, and investigate erring government officials.

Under the 2020 Revised Rules of the Judicial and Bar Council, applicants with pending criminal and administrative complaints may be disqualified.

Former President Duterte was arrested on March 11, 2025 following the issuance of an arrest warrant against him by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged crimes against humanity in connection with the killings under his war on drugs when he was mayor of Davao City and when he was president.

Duterte has since been detained in The Hague, Netherlands.

He was originally set to appear in a hearing set on September 23.

However, the ICC, on September 8, postponed the commencement of the confirmation hearing following a request from the defense team for an indefinite adjournment of the proceedings alleging that Duterte was not fit to stand trial.

(With reports from GMA News Online)