Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla on Monday said the government will formally ask the International Criminal Court (ICC) to allow former President Rodrigo Duterte to take his oath of office as mayor of Davao City even while detained at The Hague in the Netherlands.

“We recognize former President Duterte’s victory. The Comelec declared him mayor. He was proclaimed the day after the elections. Overwhelming mandate. We recognize him as the duly elected mayor,” Remulla told reporters.

He said the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) plans to seek the ICC’s permission to let the Philippine consul in the Netherlands administer the oath of office to Duterte inside the detention facility.

“What I’ll do is write to the ICC to ask if our consul can go there and swear him in. He needs to take his oath to officially assume the post,” Remulla said.

Since Duterte will be unable to physically perform his duties, Remulla said his son, Vice Mayor-elect Sebastian “Baste” Duterte, will serve as acting mayor until the former president can formally assume the position.

“He has to be physically present. Since he’s not available right now, the vice mayor will take over in the meantime,” he added.

Duterte was arrested on 11 March at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport based on an ICC warrant linked to crimes against humanity charges tied to his administration’s bloody war on drugs. He was immediately flown to the Netherlands, where he is being held at the Scheveningen Prison.

Echoes Marcos push for real safety

Speaking earlier that day at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City, Remulla also underscored the need for public safety to be felt and not just seen on paper.

“The President wants a real connection between police statistics and what people actually feel,” he said.

“It can’t just be about numbers. When Filipinos wake up and go to sleep, they need to feel that public safety is the top priority,” he added.

Remulla emphasized that people coming home late, leaving early, or remaining in their homes shouldn’t have to worry about their safety. “That’s the goal: people must feel safe. They must feel protected by the police and that their communities are safer now than before,” he said.

To help achieve this, the National Capital Region Police Office presented to Remulla its Intensified and Recalibrated Police Visibility Program, which aims to boost police presence on the streets and improve trust in law enforcement.

A total of 21,532 police officers will be deployed across Metro Manila under the initiative, along with 240 community volunteers who will serve as “force multipliers” to help with neighborhood security.

The recalibrated visibility program is expected to produce tangible results within three months.