June 17, 2025 — Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte criticized the opposition coalition 1Sambayan on Monday for urging countries to reject his father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, should his appeal for interim release from International Criminal Court (ICC) detention be granted.

“We received news on another supposed group of people who call themselves 1sambayanan, warning countries who will receive our former President Rody Duterte should his appeal for an interim release be approved,” Duterte said in a statement.

The younger Duterte defended his father, arguing that numerous countries have praised his anti-crime efforts. “I would not be surprised if many will express interest in receiving FPRRD in their respective country,” he added.

Former President Duterte has been detained at the ICC headquarters in The Hague, Netherlands, since March 11, 2025, following an arrest order issued by the international tribunal. He faces charges of crimes against humanity related to the thousands of deaths during his administration’s war on drugs.

Rep. Duterte also questioned 1Sambayan’s priorities, claiming the group had remained silent on drug lords and insurgents terrorizing Filipinos. “It is quite interesting now that these people would go to great lengths to warn states from receiving our very own president,” he said.

In its June 14 statement, 1Sambayan condemned Duterte’s bid for interim release, calling it a “profound insult to the Filipino people” and a “blatant disregard for the victims of his regime’s brutal human rights abuses.”

The group warned that allowing Duterte to relocate to another country would undermine the ICC process and set a dangerous precedent for human rights violators worldwide.

The former president’s legal team has argued that his advanced age and commitment not to flee should be considered in granting his request. His lawyer, Nicholas Kaufman, claimed that a third country had already expressed willingness to receive Duterte.

The ICC has yet to rule on Duterte’s interim release request, while international reactions to 1Sambayan’s warning remain uncertain. The case continues to spark heated debate over accountability, justice, and diplomatic relations.