CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — Kagay-anons joined the nationwide prayer and candlelight rally on Saturday afternoon, 15 March, calling for the return of former President Rodrigo Duterte to the Philippines. Duterte was flown to The Hague, Netherlands, last Friday on a warrant of arrest issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Cagayan de Oro City Councilor Girlie Balaba, regional head of the Partido ng Demokratikong Pilipino-Laban (PDP-Laban) and a close ally of the Duterte family, addressed rallyists at the Amphitheater in Divisoria, calling the national government inutile or useless for allowing foreigners to fly Duterte out of the country.

Balaba contrasted Duterte’s prior efforts to send aircraft abroad for distressed overseas Filipinos during his presidency, highlighting that he always arranged for their repatriation when necessary.

She also criticized the Judiciary Department, speaking in the Visayan vernacular, claiming, “they did nothing to protect a Filipino being kidnapped in his homeland by foreigners from the ICC, even when the country is no longer a member of it.”

Before the prayer rally, a motorcade came from Barangay Bugo, while other participants arrived via a “walk-for-peace” from Rodelsa Circle.