Kidnapped by Power? Sara Duterte’s Explosive Claims Rock the Philippines

By Louis ‘Barok‘ C. Biraogo — April 30, 2025

IN THE Philippines, where dynasties wield power like feudal lords, the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte by the International Criminal Court (ICC) on March 11, 2025, is a seismic event in a saga of vengeance and ambition. Vice President Sara Duterte’s explosive claim that her father’s detention in The Hague is a politically driven “kidnapping” tied to the 2025 and 2028 elections ignites a firestorm of questions. Is this the ICC’s righteous pursuit of justice for the drug war’s bloodshed, or a Marcos-orchestrated plot to crush a rival clan? With nationalist fervor and electoral stakes at fever pitch, the truth is a casualty in this high-stakes power play.

1. Unmasking the Legal and Political Battleground

The ICC’s case against Rodrigo Duterte is anchored in the carnage of his war on drugs (2011–2019), which claimed 12,000–30,000 lives, many through extrajudicial killings. The court’s jurisdiction, valid for crimes before the Philippines’ 2019 ICC exit, charges Duterte with crimes against humanity as the campaign’s mastermind (ICC, 2025). The arrest warrant, long in gestation, is legally ironclad, but its detonation two months before the 2025 midterms and three years from the 2028 presidential race screams political timing. Why, after years of delay, did the ICC strike now?

The Marcos-Duterte feud is the crucible. Once allies in the 2022 election, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and the Dutertes are now locked in a bitter struggle. Marcos’s pro-U.S. tilt and ICC cooperation clash with Duterte’s pro-China defiance, culminating in public spats and an impeachment push against Sara by Marcos loyalists in late 2024 (Al Jazeera, 2025). Sara’s claim that the arrest targets the Dutertes’ electoral clout—especially in vote-rich Davao—gains traction amid this rift. A 2024 Pulse Asia poll revealed 57% of Filipinos trust local courts over the ICC, fueling her narrative of foreign meddling.

Is this justice or a Marcos power grab? The ICC’s independence holds, but Marcos’s sudden compliance suggests opportunism. The arrest could kneecap the Dutertes before key elections, yet the ICC’s focus on accountability for mass killings is undeniable. It’s a legal process stained by political motives.

2. Decoding Sara Duterte’s Bombshell Claims

Sara Duterte’s assertion that she’s on the ICC’s arrest list is a bombshell without a fuse—no official ICC confirmation exists (Philstar, 2025). Her roles as Davao City mayor and education secretary place her near the drug war’s orbit, but no warrant names her. Her Cebu interview, alleging monitored visits to The Hague, feels like theater—unsubstantiated but crafted to stoke fear. Is this a deflection from her father’s guilt or a rallying cry? The evidence points to strategy.

Her rhetoric is a nationalist Molotov cocktail. Labeling the arrest a “kidnapping” and “foreign interference,” Sara taps into deep-seated Filipino distrust of Western institutions. A 2023 Social Weather Stations survey found 62% view foreign tribunals as sovereignty violations. By framing the ICC as a colonial tool and Marcos as its puppet, she rallies her father’s base, especially in Mindanao, where Rodrigo’s approval ratings soar above 70%. This isn’t just defense—it’s a bid to martyr the Dutertes, galvanizing voters for 2025 and beyond.

3. Power Plays and Electoral Endgames

The arrest’s timing—weeks before the 2025 midterms and on the 2028 presidential runway—screams electoral sabotage. Marcos’s allies, dominating the House, are pushing Sara’s impeachment, aiming to cripple her 2028 candidacy. Yet the ICC’s timeline, driven by a 2021 investigation, isn’t beholden to Manila’s calendar (ICC, 2025). The collision of legal and political clocks is suspicious but not proof of conspiracy.

Sara’s strategy is audacious: leverage her father’s 45% favorability (2024 OCTA poll) to paint Marcos as a tyrant. By casting the arrest as persecution, she positions herself as the Duterte legacy’s torchbearer, eyeing 2028. This echoes Brazil’s Lula da Silva, whose 2018 arrest before elections was decried as political, paving his triumphant return. Sara’s narrative could polarize voters, splitting the electorate between Marcos’s reformist veneer and Duterte’s populist fire. Does she fear the ICC’s gavel or the ballot box’s verdict? The latter is her true arena.

4. Interrogating the Duterte Allies’ ICC Exposure

Sara’s roll call of ICC targets—Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, Oscar Albayalde, Vicente Danao, Romeo Caramat, and Bong Go—widens the persecution narrative. Dela Rosa, the drug war’s enforcer, is a confirmed target, plotting to evade arrest (GMA News, 2025). Albayalde, Danao, and Caramat, all PNP heavyweights, are named as co-perpetrators or suspects (VERA Files, 2024). Bong Go’s inclusion is shakier; his role as Duterte’s aide raises eyebrows, but no warrant confirms his risk (Inquirer, 2025).

Sara’s list is a tactical escalation, rallying allies by suggesting a sweeping vendetta. The ICC’s silence, standard for active probes, lets her claims fester unchecked. Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International focus on Duterte’s crimes, not broader targets, leaving Sara’s roster more political than factual.

5. Charting a Path Through the Chaos

For the ICC: To quell cries of bias, the court must broadcast its independence. Public clarifications on its timeline and evidence, while guarding investigations, could counter Sara’s narrative. In a nation where only 32% trust the ICC (2024 WR Numero poll), transparency is vital to legitimacy.
Philippine Media: Sara’s unverified claims demand surgical reporting. Outlets like GMA News, seeking Malacañang’s response, set a baseline, but deeper dives into her motives and the drug war’s human cost are crucial. Avoid amplifying rhetoric without context to prevent fanning disinformation flames (Reuters, 2025).
For Policymakers: The Philippines’ ICC exit exposed a gap in accountability. Rejoining could restore justice but risks elite manipulation. Domestic courts, often dynasty puppets, need reform to handle such cases locally, curbing reliance on foreign tribunals that spark nationalist backlash.

A Cry for the Forgotten

When justice is weaponized as a dynastic dagger, the true casualties are the drug war’s forgotten victims—widows, orphans, and communities scarred by Duterte’s reign. The ICC’s pursuit of truth is a flicker of hope, but in the Philippines’ cauldron of power, it risks becoming a pawn in a Marcos-Duterte vendetta. Sara’s persecution cries may win votes, but they silence the screams of the slain. Real justice demands not just handcuffs but a dismantling of the system that breeds strongmen while the vulnerable bleed. Until then, this is no trial—it’s a tragedy.