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Orgo-Life the new way to the future Advertising by AdpathwayIf you had passed Marble Arch on March 28, you would probably have assumed that the music, cake, and colorful balloons were for a birthday party. And you’d have been right.
What you probably wouldn’t have guessed is that those celebrations were for a man accused of crimes against humanity: Rodrigo Duterte, the former president of the Philippines. Hundreds of Filipinos from the diaspora community in the U.K. gathered in central London to show their support, while thousands more gathered at meeting points around the world.
One of the largest get-togethers was held outside the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, Netherlands, where Duterte is currently detained, facing charges of crimes against humanity. Supporters lined up along what has now become known as “Duterte Street,” bringing flowers and traditional food.
Duterte, now 81, is accused of orchestrating a bloody “drug war” campaign both as a provincial mayor in Davao and later as president. Many thousands were killed. However, support for Duterte remains strong, particularly in his southern stronghold of Mindanao, as well as among overseas workers.
“We want to be seen, we want to be heard – we want the international community to understand how we feel,” declared Moe Wicks, an event organizer of the London event. “We’ve been supporting Duterte for ten years. The eagerness and passion is still there.”
The U.K.-based Filipinos adorned bright green attire associated with Sara Duterte, Rodrigo’s daughter, and her various runs for high office – including her recent bid to become president. Lifesize cardboard cutouts of Rodrigo and Sara Duterte were on display, primed for selfies, alongside large letters which read “I love Duterte” as well as Philippine flags.
Those in attendance included Zul Paling, a nurse who’s lived in the U.K. for ten years. “We believe Duterte was illegally kidnapped in the Philippines,” she said. “He is alleged to have committed a crime there – so he needs to be tried there.”
This was somewhat of a running theme. While some supporters dismiss any notion of the drug killings, others acknowledge the need for due process but are uneasy about the way Rodrigo Duterte was extradited to the ICC last year.
Maya Monta, who runs a charity that supports victims of child sex abuse, is one of those. “Duterte is supposed to have a trial in the Philippines, not in the ICC,” she said. “It feels like we are being betrayed by the Marcos administration, who sent him there. The ICC should not have interfered with this kind of situation because we are not members.”
Overseas Filipinos sing a rendition of “Happy Birthday Rody Duterte” and wave Philippine flags during the birthday celebrations at Marble Arch. (Photo credit: Ben Sturt)It’s worth pointing out that The Hague retains jurisdiction over crimes committed prior to Duterte’s decision to hastily withdraw the Philippines from the ICC in 2019 after he became a person of interest to the court. However, extraction was only possible with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s cooperation with Interpol – after years of saying he wouldn’t comply.
Without the breakdown in the relationship between the Marcos and Duterte clans, commentators and supporters alike believe Rodrigo Duterte would still be enjoying the comforts of his Davao home. Despite this, those opposed to the former president are critical. “Whatever the reasons that led to Duterte’s arrest, it’s wrong for his followers to ignore the crimes that he committed,” Laurence, a Filipino postgraduate student in London, said away from the celebrations.
However, backing for Duterte among overseas workers is strong. In the 2016 presidential race, he received more than 70 percent of the popular vote from Filipinos based abroad. Some of those here in the U.K. felt they were “heard” by the first president from Mindanao.
“As an overseas Filipino worker, even something as simple as extending the validity of our Philippine passport was a massive help for us,” said Zul. “He was the only president who made changes everyone could see, not only in the major cities, but also in the provinces and for Filipinos across the world.”
Rog Zermudo, also a nurse, agreed. “The diaspora group knows what is really happening in the Philippines – and Duterte has represented this group well. He has made our country safer,” he said.
“For the first time in Philippine history, the issue of drugs was being dealt with,” Maya added. He was the only person who had a strategy and was vocal about how to arrest drug dealers and stop them from distributing drugs around the country. What he did was unique.”
Their claims that the Philippines was “safer” because of Duterte’s anti-narcotics campaign were particularly intriguing. Some Filipinos opposed to Duterte have theorized that overseas workers’ support for him and his strong rhetoric is down to external perception. In other words, the Philippines was seen to be dealing with issues that had burdened the country for so long and ultimately motivated so many to seek greener pastures.
However, how could those living abroad during Duterte’s presidency between 2016 and 2022 be so sure that the country was safer, cleaner, and more prosperous? Did they visit home? Speak to relatives? Follow the news?
“I have cousins who were known to use drugs, but during Duterte’s presidency, they were scared, and so they stopped; they changed their lives,” said Zul. “Our mainstream media back home is very biased against Duterte, they just hide the news – that’s why we follow vloggers instead.”
Green balloons are a nod to the campaign colors of Sara Duterte, who recently announced that she will be running for president in 2028. (Photo credit: Ben Sturt)
Rog also got his news from social media, claiming that “citizen journalists and vloggers are not biased compared to the media, who are selective on what they’re going to report.” He added, “The mainstream media is not reporting what is really happening back home.”
The distrust of media outlets, both in the Philippines and worldwide, was prevalent amongst those who gathered at Marble Arch. It’s hardly surprising given how the same institutions diligently reported on the drug war, following night raids and tallying the numbers of those slain in vigilante-style killings.
Social media is a powerful tool of influence in the Philippines, with its people among the most enthusiastic consumers. Duterte’s campaign and subsequent administration were effective at harnessing this, with the most high-profile influencers sympathetic to Duterte given government positions or hired as consultants using public funds.
This raises the question: is the content consumed by Filipinos abroad a sound source of news, or is it just Duterte-sponsored propaganda?
As the event-goers sang renditions of “Happy Birthday, Rody Duterte,” it was hard not to feel that the jovial, even fanatical, levels of support for the former president were a kick in the teeth to the families of the drug war victims. Some of those gunned down in the streets during the campaign did not even get to celebrate their 18th birthday.
However complicated and messy the workings of international justice may be, Rodrigo Duterte’s court date will surely be set, and he will have to answer the charges against him. No public displays of affection can change that.
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