MANILA, Philippines — Acting Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte filed criminal and administrative complaints against several Cabinet secretaries and former top police officials of the Marcos administration concerning the arrest and turnover of his father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague.
The complaints, submitted to the Office of the Ombudsman in Manila, accuse the officials of kidnapping, arbitrary detention, qualified direct assault, expulsion, usurpation of judicial functions, serious dishonesty, gross neglect of duty, and other administrative offenses.
The respondents include the Secretary of Justice, Secretary of the Interior and Local Government, Secretary of National Defense, and former Philippine National Police Chief, among others.
Sebastian Duterte alleges that the arrest and turnover of his father occurred without a lawful court order and that the officials acted beyond their authority. He seeks accountability for what he describes as unlawful actions and aims to protect his father’s legal rights.
The ICC issued an arrest warrant for Rodrigo Duterte following its investigation into alleged crimes against humanity related to his administration’s drug war. Sebastian Duterte’s complaints challenge the validity of his father’s detention and highlight ongoing political tensions in the Philippines.
The accused officials have not yet released formal statements. The legal proceedings could influence the country’s political landscape amid debates over the ICC’s jurisdiction in the Philippines. The international community is closely monitoring the case, while public opinion remains divided.
