Palace to Baste: Hindi dapat mahinto ng utang na loob ang pagpapatupad ng batas

Malacañang hit back at Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte for denouncing President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. over the arrest of his father, former President Rodrigo Duterte.

The younger Duterte criticized Marcos for allowing his father Rodrigo to be arrested even after the latter allowed the President’s late father, Ferdinand Marcos Sr., to be buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani in 2016.

At a briefing, Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro said: ''Hindi po dapat mahinto ng utang na loob ang pagpapatupad ng batas. Hindi po dapat traydurin, katulad ng aking sinabi, ang pagpapatupad ng commitment with the Interpol.

(The implementation of the law should not be stopped by a debt of gratitude. Just like what I've said, we should not renege on the commitment with Interpol.)

''Hindi po dapat na dahil lang kaibigan o dahil naging kasama ay hindi na po tutuparin ang batas, at tatraydurin na po ang Konstitusyon dahil lamang sa utang na loob,'' she added.

(It's not proper that just because he/she was your friend or you've been together, you will no longer enforce the law and you'll turn your back against the Constitution just because you owe him/her something.)

Castro also mentioned that Marcos had already expressed gratitude to the Duterte patriarch over the matter. 

On August 10, 2016, Marcos thanked then-President Duterte for allowing the burial to take place. At that time, arrangements were already being made for the burial.

The elder Marcos was buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani on November 18, 2016.

Over the weekend, Baste Duterte criticized the entire Marcos family, equating the President’s family name with martial law and oppression.

“It seems to me, the stories that I've heard about martial law and oppression is synonymous with the Marcos family name,” he said, as the crowd chanted “Marcos resign!”

He said they would “fight back” following the alleged “illegal” arrest of his father.

Meanwhile, Castro also slammed Senator Ronald ''Bato'' Dela Rosa for criticizing the arrest of Duterte as the latter reiterated that the Philippine government should not recognize the ICC.

''Hindi ba competent authority ang ICC sa paningin po ni Senator Bato? Sabi ko nga po, iyan ay normal na manggagaling kay Senator Bato dahil isa siya sa maaaring ma-consider na co-perpetrator. May takot on his part? Maybe. I cannot answer for him. Pero tandaan po natin, sa aking pagkakaalam, kung hindi ako nagkakamali, may narinig na rin daw po siya na magkakaroon ng warrant of arrest kaya hindi po siya yata nagpunta sa Hong Kong,'' Castro said.

(Isn't the ICC a competent authority for Senator Bato? It's normal that those statements will come from him since he's among those who can be considered as a co-perpetrator. Is he afraid? Maybe. I cannot answer for him. But let us remember, as far as I know, he heard about the warrant of arrest that's why he did not go to Hong Kong.)

''Hindi po ba, kung talagang alam niya na walang warrant of arrest issued by a competent authority, matapang po siyang sinamahan ang dating Pangulong Duterte, and as a matter of fact, dapat nga nauna pa siya kay Senator Robin na pumunta sa Netherlands,'' she added.

(If he really knew that there's no warrant of arrest issued by a competent authority, then he should bravely come with former President Duterte, and as a matter of fact, he should went to The Netherlands even before Senator Robin.)

Former president Duterte was arrested on Tuesday, March 11, upon his arrival in Manila from Hong Kong after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant against him for alleged crimes against humanity in connection with his administration's war on drugs.

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. —RSJ/KG, GMA Integrated News