Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte criticized the Marcos administration regarding the arrest of his father, former president Rodrigo Roa Duterte, on Tuesday, 11 March, at NAIA Terminal 3.

In a Facebook post, the younger Duterte accused the Marcos administration of desperation after issues surrounding the national budget were exposed. He stated that the Marcos administration was “fantasizing” that the arrest would overshadow the budget issue, calling it a “smell of desperation.”

He added that the administration was insisting that PRRD board a plane, under an ICC warrant that he claims has no jurisdiction in the Philippines, calling the situation “clowns behaving like clowns again” and stating, “This has to end.”

Meanwhile, Davao City Councilor Jesus Joseph Zozobrado III urged fellow Dabawenyos to pray for the health of the former president following his arrest.

“What is important right now, fellow Dabawenyos, is to pray for FPRRD,” Zozobrado said after the weekly session at the Sangguniang Panglungsod. He expressed concern for the former president’s health, especially considering his age of 80.

Former president Rodrigo Roa Duterte was taken to Villamor Air Base in Pasay City following his arrest.