Fuming Baste tags Marcos an ingrate: Davao erupts in protest

Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte on Sunday denounced President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for allegedly not having a debt of gratitude to the Duterte family.

The mayor directed his outburst at Marcos during the 88th Araw ng Dabaw celebration, which 20,000 people turned into a walk of protest over the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte.

Speaking in the vernacular, the mayor said with an expletive for emphasis: “My father had your father buried, but my father you handed to his jailors.”

The mayor was referring to then-President Duterte’s act of allowing the burial of former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. at the Libingan ng mga Bayani in Taguig City dispute widespread opposition.

The younger Duterte also expressed defiance, declaring that his family and supporters would “stand up” and “fight back” against what they perceived as the illegal arrest of his father.

“Aside from you not being loved by the people, all you have is the government resources and your term. Beyond that, you are nothing,” he exclaimed before thousands of people.

He further criticized the Marcos administration, claiming that the president would never win the affection of Duterte supporters.

Likewise, the mayor said tales of Martial Law and oppression are synonymous with the Marcos family name, drawing shouts of “Marcos resign” from the crowd.

The annual Araw ng Dabaw event, which marks the founding of Davao City, turned into a large-scale protest.

According to the Davao City Police Office (DCPO), around 20,000 people had gathered by noon for the demonstration, which included a prayer rally held at Rizal Park near the city hall.

The protest was a direct reaction to the 11 March arrest of former President Duterte and his subsequent detention in The Hague, Netherlands.

The demonstrators carried banners and placards and chanted “Duterte, Duterte” for the return of their former mayor.

Duterte is facing charges of crimes against humanity over the deaths of thousands of suspected drug personalities during his term as Davao City mayor and president until 2019, when he withdrew the Philippines from the ICC.

The massive Davao City protest came amid three consecutive nights of nightly prayer rallies in many areas across Mindanao.

In Manila on Sunday, riders drove their motorcycles to Quezon City to press for his return. Filipinos and foreigners alike in Finland also took to the streets to protest the arrest of Duterte.