Greetings, rallies mark DU30’s 80th

Birthday greetings and rallies, both pro and anti, marked the 80th birthday Friday of former President Rodrigo Duterte who is in detention at the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands awaiting trial for his brutal war on drugs.

“Warmest birthday wishes to former President Rodrigo Duterte. I learned resilience and courage in your exigence. Thank you for teaching me the value of education. I wish you love, good health and happiness,” Vice President Sara Duterte, who is in the Dutch capital, greeted her father in a video.

She also expressed her gratitude to all Filipinos for their continued support of the former president.

She thanked the Filipinos in the Philippines, the Netherlands, and other parts of the world who gathered to celebrate the former president’s birthday and pray for his immediate release.

The Vice President said her father knows that he will be facing the International Criminal Court with the support of Filipinos from all parts of the world, especially the Philippines.

“In our commemoration, let us not forget to pray for his health and that he be given a longer life,” she added.

Selfless governance

Duterte’s former chief presidential legal counsel Salvador Panelo also extended his greetings to his former boss.

“While there is incongruity and irony in your countrymen’s celebrating your 80th birthday while you lie alone incarcerated in a foreign land, there is universal recognition of the legacies you bequeathed to your countrymen and their continuing gratitude for the selfless governance you generously bestowed them,” Panelo said.

He noted that even as his supporters are “in a state of sadness and outrage” by Duterte’s “unconstitutional arrest, detention, kidnapping, and the surrender of the country’s sovereignty by the state authorities,” they still made time to wish him a happy birthday.

“In an unprecedented global unity and action, they gather in solidarity and in love from wherever they are to wish you a glorious and happy birthday,” Panelo said.

He then took a swipe at the Marcos administration, accusing government officials of “violating all norms of ethics and legalities,” as well as uprooting Duterte “forcibly from the land of your birth that you have faithfully served for more than half of your life.”

“These political scoundrels wielding power and wallowing in unexplained affluence, instead of giving protection to a Filipino citizen, as commanded by the Constitution, have betrayed their oath of office and brazenly transgressed it,” Panelo said.

Despite this, Panelo said the Filipino people had taken it upon themselves to share with Duterte this special day of his life — in silent jubilation and joyous thanksgiving for being God’s gift to the country.

Palace greeting

Malacañang also wished the former chief executive a “happy birthday.”

In a press briefing, Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro said it was only proper to wish someone a happy birthday. She briefly sang the “happy birthday” song for the former president.

“Of course, we wish him more years to come, we also wish him good health, good fortune, because he needs it,” she said.

While there was no message from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to Duterte on his birthday, Castro said she was speaking on behalf of Malacañang.

Duterte’s legacy

The former president’s supporters gathered to celebrate his achievements and legacy in the form of protest rallies against the Marcos administration’s alleged involvement in his arrest and transfer to The Hague.

Duterte was taken into custody by Philippine authorities on 11 March on the charge of crime against humanity related to his administration’s war on drugs on his arrival from Hong Kong.

He was held for nearly 14 hours at Villamor Air Base before he was escorted to a chartered plane that flew him to the Netherlands.

On the other hand, similar gatherings were organized by relatives of the drug war victims and anti-Duterte camps.

Castro, at the briefing, said there was nothing wrong with the protests by both sides of the Duterte divide.

“We cannot stop this, no matter what activities the alleged victims or those who sympathize with the victims want to do. That’s right, the whole world should also know that it’s not just the interests of former President Duterte that should be heard, but the interests of the victims should also be heard by the whole world,” she said.

“We can’t say this is divisive because they are just expressing their grievances, their sentiments, their opinions, and it’s a freedom of expression.So we can’t consider this divisive,” she added.

No order to stop protests

Castro said the public is allowed to voice their concerns and grievances as long as no laws are violated.

She reminded those joining protests to take shelter under a shade and drink lots of water, especially since it’s summer.

“There is no order to stop any gathering because this is the constitutional right of every Filipino. They just shouldn’t go beyond it or their actions will be considered illegal,” she warned.

Castro emphasized that if protesters call for the government to fall, that is against the law.

“If they shout to overthrow the government, that’s one thing. If they continue to speak, to sow fear, to promote hatred towards the government, that’s bordering on inciting to sedition, they should know that,” she said.