Philippine Ambassador to the United Kingdom Teodoro Locsin Jr. has set off a political firestorm after claiming that former President Rodrigo Duterte was “abducted by Filipinos and handed over to foreigners.”

“Rodrigo Duterte was not arrested by the ICC (International Criminal Court); he was abducted by Filipinos in the Philippines and handed over to foreigners,” Locsin said in a Facebook post.

“If he is guilty of crimes, we thereby confessed our country’s and our state’s inability to hold him to account,” Locsin added.

In March, the former president was arrested in Manila by the Philippine National Police chief and flown to The Hague in the Netherlands to face trial for alleged crimes against humanity in connection with the brutal war on drugs during his term.

Locsin served as Duterte’s foreign affairs secretary from 2018 to 2022.

The envoy also cited the series of protest rallies held last 21 September in different places such as Mendiola, EDSA, and Luneta as showing the country’s justice system was impaired.

“No wonder there are Trillion People Marches for just that reason — the inability of domestic justice to hold grand theft auto-appropriation to account,” he wrote. “It is a confession begging for foreign domination in purely national affairs; and by willing and complicit admission.”

Locsin’s statement drew sharp and mixed reactions from lawmakers, government officials, and legal experts. Many questioned the implications of his remarks on issues of national sovereignty to the credibility of the Philippine justice system, and the country’s obligations before the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Senator Imee Marcos was quick to back Locsin.

“I agree with what Ambassador Locsin said — that President Duterte was not arrested by the ICC, but by Filipinos and handed over to foreigners,” she said, echoing long-held skepticism about foreign involvement in domestic affairs.

At the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), officials have taken a more cautious stance.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro said the department is verifying if Locsin personally wrote or released the statement, adding that she intends to speak with the ambassador before issuing any formal comment.

Meanwhile, legal circles have not been kind.

Lawyer Jesus Falcis blasted Locsin’s remarks as “fake news,” accusing the diplomat of distorting international law and spreading misinformation.

“Duterte’s arrest followed due process under both ICC and Philippine laws — it wasn’t an abduction,” Falcis said, calling for Locsin’s removal from the diplomatic corps.

On social media, the issue was deeply polarizing.

Some users applauded Locsin for what they saw as a stand for sovereignty and patriotism, while others condemned the statement as reckless and damaging to the country’s credibility abroad.

For now, the DFA has yet to issue an official position pending its inquiry. But officials emphasized the same core message — that in matters as sensitive as this, truth, transparency, and respect for the rule of law must prevail.